The Green Monkey retired

The Green Monkey, who sold two years ago for a world record price of $16 million for a 2-year-old in training but was a bust on the racetrack, has been retired and will become a stallion, but will not enter stud until 2009, Charlie O'Connor, of Ashford Stud, said Monday.

Ashford Stud is owned by John Magnier and Michael Tabor, who, along with Derrick Smith, acquired The Green Monkey when he was purchased by bloodstock agent Demi O'Byrne in 2006. O'Connor said The Green Monkey would stand at the Ocala, Fla., farm of Randy Hartley and Dean De Renzo, the horsemen who purchased The Green Monkey as a yearling for $425,000 and then sold him as a pinhook seven months later for $16 million.

Although The Green Monkey already is at Hartley and De Renzo's farm, O'Connor said The Green Monkey would not stand at stud this year because "it's too late."

"Most people have already made decisions with their mares," O'Connor said.

O'Connor said a stud fee for The Green Monkey would be decided at a later date.

The Green Monkey only raced three times, all last year at age 3, and finished third once and fourth twice, earning just $10,240. After twice racing on dirt at Belmont Park, he made his final start on turf on Nov. 21 at Hollywood Park. He was trained by Todd Pletcher.

The Green Monkey, a colt by Forestry out of the Unbridled mare Magical Masquerade, was bred by Satish Sanan's Padua Stables. He was put in the Fasig-Tipton sale of 2-year-olds, and created a buzz after working a furlong in 9.80 seconds during a pre-sale breeze. What happened days later defied anyone's expectations. The colt was purchased for $16 million, eclipsing the record auction price of $13.1 million that was paid for the yearling Seattle Dancer in 1985.

The Green Monkey was named for a golf course at the Tabor-owned Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados.

The Green Monkey was in training the summer of his 2-year-old season at Saratoga when he pulled a gluteal muscle. That fall, he returned to training, but worked poorly and was freshened anew.

He returned to training with Pletcher in March 2007 and did not make it to the races until Sept. 15, when he finished third against maidens at Belmont Park.