Colstar, Happy Hopper retired

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Grade 1 winner Colstar and multiple stakes winner The Happy Hopper, both 5, have retired from racing and will be bred to Point Given in 2002. Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky., which will stand Point Given for $125,000 during his initial season, announced the retirements Wednesday.

Beverly Steinman's homebred Colstar (Opening Verse-Ascend, by Risen Star) won the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational last year. In 2001, Colstar won her second consecutive Grade 3 Locust Grove Handicap before winning her final race, the Grade 3 All Along Breeders' Cup Stakes at Colonial on July 14. Trained by Paul Fout, Colstar won 11 of her 18 career starts, including six graded wins, and retires with earnings of more than $1 million.

The Happy Hopper (El Prado-Village Dancer, by Mythical Ruler), owned by Kerry and Linda Ozment, won seven stakes, scoring this year in Arlington's Safely Kept Stakes and Oaklawn's Carousel Handicap. She also placed in five graded stakes, most notably finishing second in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at 3.

The Happy Hopper made her last start at Keeneland on Oct. 7, finishing fourth in the six-furlong Storm Cat Stakes. Bred by Frank Stronach's Adena Springs and trained by Bob Holthus, she ends her career with a record of 38-12-12-0 and earnings of $801,279.