Alpinista retired; Baaeed named Cartier Horse of the Year

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista was retired this week after being injured while training toward an intended career finale Nov. 27 in the Japan Cup.

Based in England with trainer Mark Prescott, Alpinista rose from relative obscurity to end her career at age 5 on an eight-race winning streak, the last six of those tallies at the Group 1 level. After winning just twice in her first seven starts through 2020, Alpinista came strongly to hand in 2021, when she concluded her campaign with three underrated Group 1 wins in Germany, beating, among several very good horses, the subsequent 2021 Arc winner Torquator Tasso.

This season, Alpinista, by Frankel out of Alwilda, by Hernando, won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the Yorkshire Oaks over subsequent Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf heroine Tuesday on the way to a half-length win over Vadeni in the Arc.

Ridden throughout her winning streak by Luke Morris, Alpinista is a homebred owned by Kirsten Rausing, whose broodmare band Alpinista now joins.

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* Baaeed, who was Europe’s top miler the last two years and stretched out to 1 1/4 miles to win the Eclipse Stakes this summer, was named the Cartier horse of the year Wednesday night in London. Baaeed was retired to stud after taking the first loss of his career when he failed to cope with very soft ground in the Champion Stakes last month at Ascot. Vadeni won the Cartier award for 3-year-old colt, Inspiral for 3-year-old filly. Highfield Princess was named Cartier Sprinter of 2022, while Kyprios won Cartier Stayer, Blackbeard 2-year-old colt, and Lezoo 2-year-old filly.

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