Atta Boy Roy retired to stud at age 8

PHOENIX – Fittingly, it’s ‘atta boy’ for Atta Boy Roy. The horse, who had plenty of success at Turf Paradise, was recently retired to stud at age 8.

Owned by R.E.V. Racing and trained by Valorie Lund, Atta Boy Roy won 14 races, including the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes in 2010, finishing in the money in nine other races.

Atta Boy Roy started and finished his career at the Phoenix track. He won his first race April 18, 2008, and finished second in his final start, the Swift Stakes, here Feb. 1. He won 5 of 14 starts at Turf Paradise with four second-place finishes.

Along the way Atta Boy Roy won races at six different race tracks, including stakes wins at Remington Park and Emerald Downs.

Lund purchased Atta Boy Roy for Roy and Ellie Schaeffer of R.E.V. Racing for $4,500 at the 2005 Washington State yearling sale. He made that investment look tremendous as he went on to win $602,276.

“Even as a 2-year-old he showed talent,” said Lund. “I told Roy and Ellie this is a once in a lifetime horse. I really didn’t do anything. The horse did at all.”

Atta Boy Roy will return to Washington for breeding duties at Pabst Blue Ribbon Farm in Renton. He will be bred to Coup de Foudre, dam of multiple stakes winner Absolutely Cool who currently races at Turf Paradise and is entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup.