Fort Larned to stand at Adena Springs

Fort Larned, winner of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic, has been purchased by Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs and will stand at Adena Springs Kentucky in Paris, Ky. after his final career start on Saturday in the 2013 Classic.

The purchase of the 5-year-old E Dubai horse will be effective following his start in the Classic, which he won last year by a hard-fought half-length.

With one start remaining in his career, Fort Larned has won 10 of 24 races for earnings of $4,171,322. In addition to his Breeders’ Cup win, Fort Larned has tallied wins in the Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap and Stephen Foster Handicap, as well as the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap and Skip Away Stakes.

Fort Larned is a Kentucky-bred second-generation member of owner Janis Whitham’s breeding program, beginning with his second dam, two-time champion Bayakoa. Whitham was represented by Doug Cauthen Thoroughbred Management in the transaction. Fort Larned is trained by Ian Wilkes.

“Fort Larned is the culmination of 30 years of breeding and racing for the Whitham family, and his Breeders’ Cup win brought back great memories of his granddam, Bayakoa, who won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff twice,” Whitham said. “We are excited about him standing at Adena Springs because we know he will have every chance to succeed, and we look forward to supporting him.”

Fort Larned is out of the winning Broad Brush mare Arlucea, whose six winners from as many foals to race include multiple Grade 1-placed winner Izarra and stakes-placed winner Moonport. His extended family also includes multiple Grade 1 winner Affluent and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Magic Hour.

“Adena Springs is very pleased to purchase Fort Larned and we expect him to be part of our exceptional stallion roster,” Stronach said. “He is a gifted racehorse, consistently displaying speed and stamina on dirt, and an outcross for Northern Dancer and Seattle Slew sire lines.”