Bernardini and Henny Hughes retired

Making official what had been telegraphed for weeks, Darley Stud on Monday announced that Bernardini has been retired following the Breeders' Cup Classic and will enter stud duty this spring at Darley's Lexington, Ky., farm.

Bernardini finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic, completing a year, and a career, in which he won 6 times in 8 starts. His victories include the Preakness Stakes, Travers Stakes, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He is the front-runner to be named the Eclipse Award-winning 3-year-old.

"We had a great year with our horse," said Tom Albertrani, the trainer of Bernardini. "I'm very proud of him. It would have been nice to see him finish up with a nice win, but I'm very happy with the year he had."

Albertrani refused to make any excuses for Bernardini's loss on Saturday.

"Invasor just ran the best race of his life on the right day," he said. "We were just second best."

Henny Hughes also retired

Darley, which is owned by Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum, also announced that Henny Hughes, who finished last as the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, also has been retired for stud duty. Henny Hughes, a son of Hennessy, won the King's Bishop and Vosburgh, both Grade 1 sprints, this year. He won 6 times in 10 starts overall.

Bernardini's stud fee will be $100,000, and Henny Hughes will have a $40,000 stud fee, Darley said.

"These are the supreme Thoroughbreds of their generation, and each bested older horses too," Darley's Dan Pride said in a statement. "They are well bred and exceptionally attractive. They were not only brilliant but they came back for more time and again. We couldn't be more thrilled than to have the chance to stand them."

The retirement of Bernardini will be a disappointment to racing fans who thrilled to his effortless victories this summer and fall. But with his record and pedigree Bernardini should prove a popular stallion. He is by A.P. Indy, out of the Quiet American mare Cara Rafaela. He was bred by Darley.

"In my book, he's still one of the best horses I've seen," Albertrani said.

Darley also announced that Street Cry, the sire of Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Street Sense, would have his stud fee raised to $50,000 for next year. It was $30,000 this year. Pride said anyone who bred to Street Cry his first four years at stud could still breed to him next year for $30,000, with approval of the mare a prerequisite.

- additional reporting by David Grening