Graded stakes winner Astrology to stand at Taylor Made

Grade 3 winner and classic-placed Astrology was retired Wednesday by owners Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton and will stand his first season at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville, Ky., for a fee of $7,500.

Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Astrology won the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes and finished second in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes as a juvenile. In 2011, he was runner-up in both the Grade 3 Sunland Derby and Grade 2 Jerome Stakes before finishing third in the Preakness Stakes to Shackleford and Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. He retires with 3 wins in 12 starts and earnings of $516,977.

A 4-year-old A.P. Indy colt out of the winning Quiet American mare Quiet Eclipse, Astrology is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Lunarpal and to two other stakes winners.

“Astrology is one of the best-looking horses I’ve seen by A.P. Indy, who’s one of the best sires of sires in the world, and he’s bred identically to [champion and leading sire] Bernardini,” said Ben Taylor, Taylor Made’s vice president of sales. “Astrology was a top juvenile around one turn and showed that he could stretch out his speed and quality to be a classic-placed 3-year-old.”

Said his trainer, Steve Asmussen: “Astrology is an absolutely beautiful individual and very classic looking. He had a ton of ability, and I have no doubt that he was a Grade 1 winner on his best day.”