Flower Alley to Three Chimneys in 2007

Flower Alley, the winner of the 2005 Travers Stakes, will be retired at the end of this year and will stand in 2007 at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky., the farm announced Wednesday.

Flower Alley, by Distorted Humor out of the Lycius mare Princess Olivia, will stand for a fee of $25,000 live foal as the property of Eugene Melnyk and Three Chimneys, the announcement said. Three Chimneys has reached an agreement in principle with Melnyk to buy 50 percent of the horse upon his retirement. Melnyk purchased the horse as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale for $165,000.

Flower Alley, who ran poorly in his last two starts, the Grade 1 Whitney and Woodward stakes, was shipped to Churchill Downs on Tuesday to train for a possible start in the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 4. The 4-year-old colt is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Last year, Flower Alley won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Travers before finishing second behind Saint Liam, the Horse of the Year, in the Breeders' Cup Classic. So far in his career, Flower Alley has won 5 of 13 starts and earned $2,533,910.