Carl Spackler, with new owner, will race at Ascot, then Australia

Carl Spackler, arguably the top male turf miler in North America, has been sold by Bob Edwards to Yulong Investments and will be heading to Australia by way of Royal Ascot.

Carl Spackler, an Irish-bred son of Lope de Vega when trained by Chad Brown, is a three-time Grade 1 winner, having captured the Fourstardave and Coolmore Turf Mile last year and the Maker’s Mark Mile this year. Carl Spackler’s only loss in his last four starts was a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, in which he was beaten 2 3/4 lengths by More Than Looks.

Yulong Investments purchased Moira, the 2024 North America female turf champion, for $4.3 million at auction last fall.

Edwards, who races under the e5 Racing Thoroughbreds moniker, said while he “had a lot of fun” campaigning Carl Spackler since 2023, “it is a business. We’ve had a lot of luck with him, not sure how commercially he’d be received [as a stallion prospect] in the states. The timing worked out.”

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Carl Spackler, who worked a half-mile at Saratoga in 49.95 seconds on Sunday, is scheduled to leave this week for England, where he is expected to run in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 17 for Australian-based trainer Ciaron Maher, according to Edwards.

Following the Queen Anne, Carl Spackler is expected to go to Australia, where there are several opportunities for turf milers, including the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Randwick in October and the Group 1 VRC Champions Mile at Flemington in November.

However, Maher told the publication Idol Horse, that the Cox Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race on Oct. 25 in Melbourne, is an intended target for Carl Spackler.

“We’re equally as excited to have him travel to Australia after Ascot with the Cox Plate as the ultimate target, where we hope to continue Yulong’s success in the race,” Maher said.

Edwards noted that Carl Spackler is out of the dam Zindaya, who was the first winner and first stakes winner for Edwards in 2014.

Edwards said he still owns Zindaya and that she has a yearling by Uncle Mo and a weanling by Justify. Zindaya is in foal to Into Mischief, Edwards said.

Carl Spackler, named for the Bill Murray-played groundskeeper in the comedy film “Caddyshack,” has a record of 8-1-0 from 12 starts with earnings of $1,910,725. In addition to his three Grade 1 victories, Carl Spackler won the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and Grade 3 Saranac and Grade 3 Kelso, all at Saratoga, and the Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Saffron Moon retired

Saffron Moon, who won two graded turf stakes at Tampa Bay Downs this winter, has been retired from racing after developing an injury following her third-place finish in the Grade 3 Modesty at Churchill , Chad Brown said Sunday.

Saffron Moon, a 6-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon owned by CHP Racing, won the Grade 2 Hillsborough and Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes at Tampa during the winter meet. Her final time of 1:39.92 for 1 1/16 miles in the Endeavour was a stakes record.

Saffron Moon retired with a record of 5-2-2 from 12 starts with earnings of $499,325.

A previous version of this article misstated the track at which Carl Spackler won the Opening Verse Stakes. It was Churchill Downs, not Saratoga.

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