Any Given Saturday retired to stud

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum's Darley Stud has decided to retire Haskell and Brooklyn Handicap winner Any Given Saturday rather than continue his racing career, the organization announced Wednesday.

He will stand for $40,000 at Darley's Lexington farm, Darley at Jonabell, alongside his rivals Street Sense and Hard Spun.

Darley initially had considered returning the 3-year-old Distorted Humor colt to training under its Godolphin racing stable. Maktoum's bloodstock adviser, John Fergsuon, said Darley made its decision after a veterinary exam on Any Given Saturday following the Breeders' Cup.

"It was decided that, although the horse retires to stud sound, there were issues that might prevent him from having a full season next year, and Sheikh Mohammed therefore decided it was in everybody's interests to stand the horse at Darley at Jonabell in 2008 for $40,000," said Ferguson.

"He'll join Discreet Cat and his old adversaries Hard Spun and Street Sense at Darley," he said, "and you couldn't wish for a more impressive bunch of recruits."

Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and runner-up Hard Spun will stand at Darley for $75,000 and $50,000, respectively.

Any Given Saturday most recently finished sixth behind Curlin in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Darley had privately purchased the breeding rights to Any Given Saturday for a reported $30 million to $40 million after his Aug. 5 Haskell victory, in which he defeated Curlin and Hard Spun.

Bred by the WinStar Farm entity Racehorse Management, Any Given Saturday went through the auction ring at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale but was bought back by WinStar for $1.1 million. In February, WinStar privately sold an undisclosed interest to Satish and Anne Sanan's Padua Stables after Any Given Saturday won his first stakes, the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa.

The colt went on to finish second in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and third in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial, but ran eighth in the Derby. He bounced back to score consecutive victories in the Grade 2 Dwyer, Gradeo1 Haskell, and Grade 2 Brooklyn.

He retires with a record of 6 wins, 2 second-place finishes, and 1 third in 11 starts. He earned $1,083,533.

Any Given Saturday is out of the A.P. Indy mare Weekend in Indy, who also produced the Grade 3 winner Bohemian Lady.