Flat Out to stand at Spendthrift Farm

Multiple Grade 1 winner Flat Out will make his debut at stud in 2014 at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky., where he will stand for an advertised fee of $10,000.

The 7-year-old son of Flatter will be included in Spendthrift’s “Share the Upside” incentive program. He was retired earlier this month with nine wins in 29 career starts for earnings of $3,645,383. Campaigned by the majority of his career by owner Art Preston’s Preston Stables, he was trained by Charles "Scooter" Dickey and later, Bill Mott.

Flat Out finished his on-track career with a victory in the Cigar Mile Handicap on Nov. 30 at Aqueduct, giving him his third career Grade 1 victory after winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2011 and 2012. He also was a two-time winner of the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap, in 2011 and 2013, and also won the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes earlier this year. He finished in the money in 16 graded stakes races over six seasons of racing.

“Flat Out possesses the tremendous heart and talent that is only found in the truly top-class racehorses, and he proved that with his honesty, consistency, and ability to overcome. I'd have to rank him number one among the most exciting horses I've raced,” Preston said. “Spendthrift is an established stud farm with great history and class, and Wayne (Hughes) has been an innovator with his breeding programs. I'm making a plan to breed some mares to Flat Out and it should be a lot of fun.”

Bred in Florida by Nikolaus Bock, Flat Out is out of the multiple stakes-winning Cresta Rider mare Cresta Lil, who is the dam of 10 winners from 11 foals to race including stakes winner Our Best Man. Flat Out is from the family of Grade 1 winner Got Koko and Grade 3 winners Miss Otis and J. T.’s Pet.

“Flat Out has proven himself to be among the elite racehorses we’ve seen over the course of the last three years,” said Ned Toffey, general manager at Spendthrift. “His brilliant win recently over five Grade 1 winners in the Cigar Mile is a fitting way for him to close out his tremendous racing career, and it showed he was top class among the best milers and best classic horses around.

“Physically, he’s an awesome individual who’s very well-balanced, handsome and correct, and his A.P. Indy sire line is obviously the preeminent sire line in North America today,” Toffey continued. “We believe breeders are going to like him, and we invite everyone to come out to the farm to see him.”