Champion Good Magic retired to stud at Hill 'n' Dale Farm

Classic-placed champion Good Magic has been retired and will enter stud at Hill 'n' Dale Farm alongside his sire, Curlin.

Good Magic, who was bred by Stonestreet Farm, was sold by Hill 'n' Dale on behalf of his breeder at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale, where e Five Racing went to $1 million to acquire him. Stonestreet later bought back in, and the two entities raced him in partnership to three graded stakes victories from nine starts and earnings of more than $2.9 million.

Curlin, a two-time Horse of the Year for Stonestreet and partners, has stood at Hill 'n' Dale since the 2016 season after originally standing at Lane's End. Former Stonestreet colorbearers Atreides, Kantharos, and Maclean's Music also call the Lexington, Ky., farm home.

"Good Magic is a fantastic addition to our stallion roster," Hill 'n' Dale's John Sikura said in a release. "It is rare indeed for a champion 2-year-old to retain his Grade 1 form at 3, which was witnessed by Good Magic’s narrow defeat by super horse Justify in the Kentucky Derby. We sold Good Magic ... as a yearling and he was a beautiful horse. I remember him as medium sized, a great mover, and completely correct. Valiant, supremely talented, and by Curlin, breeders will love him."

Good Magic will stand for a fee of $35,000, the release said.

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Good Magic broke his maiden in his third career start by winning the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. He was subsequently voted champion 2-year-old male.

This year, Good Magic won the Blue Grass Stakes in his second start of the season, then caught sloppy tracks in the first two legs of the Triple Crown. He was a hard-fought second to Justify in the Kentucky Derby, and fourth in the Preakness Stakes after dueling with the eventual Triple Crown winner through the early stages.

He rebounded to win the Haskell Invitational by three lengths, but then finished a dull ninth as the favorite in the Travers Stakes on Aug. 25 in what turned out to be his final career start. Blood tests taken following the race revealed that the colt had an elevated white blood cell count, and his connections responded with plans for a full veterinary examination in Kentucky and time off at Stonestreet. Last week, they said the champion was done for the year and on Monday announced his retirement.