Champagne Room retired, sold to Japanese interests

ARCADIA, Calif. – Champagne Room, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2016, has been retired and sold privately to Japanese interests, trainer Peter Eurton said Wednesday.

Champagne Room was recently diagnosed with a hairline fracture in a foot that would have required a lengthy recovery time. Last week, Eurton said the partnership that owns the filly was contemplating a private sale, or keeping Champagne Room in training.

On Wednesday, Eurton said Champagne Room is at his stable at Santa Anita but is expected to be exported to Japan in coming weeks.

“She’s going through some tests before she can ship,” he said. “I think she’s going over there.”

Champagne Room won 3 of 9 starts and earned $1,490,600 for a partnership that included Sharon Alesia, Ciaglia Racing, Exline-Border Racing, and Gulliver Racing. By Broken Vow, Champagne Room is best known for her upset win in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita in November 2016.

An ankle injury curtailed her 3-year-old season last year, a campaign highlighted by a win in the Remington Park Oaks. Champagne Room was later sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 3 at Del Mar and second in the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes on Dec. 3 at Los Alamitos in her final start.

Eurton said the purchase price was private and the owners plan to reinvest some of the proceeds at upcoming sales.

“We can use the money to purchase horses,” he said. “It was a group decision.”