Basin retires, will stand at Spendthrift

Grade 1 winner Basin has been retired and will enter stud at Spendthrift Farm in 2022.

Basin, a 4-year-old son of Liam's Map, is available for inspection, the farm announced Thursday during the ongoing Keeneland September yearling sale, during which the bloodstock community converges on the area. Basin will stand for a standard fee of $7,500, or will be available for $8,500 as part of the “Share the Upside” program pioneered by the late farm owner B. Wayne Hughes. Through Share the Upside, breeders can earn a lifetime breeding right to a young stallion after supporting him in his early seasons.

“We are excited to add Basin to the Spendthrift stallion ranks and to be able to offer breeders a horse of his caliber through our Share the Upside program,” Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager, said in a release. “We pride ourselves on being able to offer quality at all levels, and we believe there’s a lot to like with this dominant Grade 1-winning 2-year-old by Liam’s Map.”

Basin, a May foal, was still precocious enough to win two of three starts as a juvenile. After finishing second by a nose to subsequent graded stakes winner By Your Side on debut at Churchill Downs, he won his next outing at Saratoga. He then posted his biggest career victory, rolling by 6 1/2 lengths in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga.

As a 3-year-old, Basin placed in three graded stakes, finishing second in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and Grade 2 Amsterdam, and third in the Grade 2 Rebel. He won once from four outings this year, taking the Sir Shackleton in March at Gulfstream Park.

Basin was owned by Jackpot Farm and bred by Cottonwood Stables LLC. He was trained by Steve Asmussen for his first seven starts, after which he moved to Todd Pletcher's barn for the final five starts of his career. He won 3 of 12 starts and $573,640 in earnings.

Basin becomes the third announced incoming stallion for 2022 for Spendthrift, with the trio all Grade 1 winners. The farm holds the rights to Yaupon, one of the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and announced in August that Florida Derby winner Known Agenda had retired to the farm.