Hit It a Bomb retired to Spendthrift Farm
Hit It a Bomb, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, has been retired from racing and will debut at stud in 2017 at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky.
The 3-year-old son of War Front will stand for a fee of $8,500 under the farm’s Share the Upside program, in which breeders would earn a lifetime breeding right beginning in 2019 after having two live foals and paying the stud fees. He will stand for $7,000 under a standard stands and nurses contract.
Hit It a Bomb retires with three wins in seven starts for earnings of $626,821, having raced as a Kentucky homebred for Evelyn Stockwell.
Trained by Aiden O’Brien, Hit It a Bomb began his career in Ireland, winning his debut, and then taking the Star Appeal Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths. The colt was then sent to the U.S. for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland, where he prevailed by a neck.
He returned to Europe for his 3-year-old campaign, finishing third in the Irish Group 2 Solonway Stakes and Group 3 Desmond Stakes. He made his final career start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita, where he finished out of the money.
“It has been a priority of ours to be able to offer breeders a top son of War Front through our Share The Upside program,” said Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey. “In Hit It a Bomb, we believe we’ve found that horse. He was an undefeated Grade 1 winner at two, with an electrifying turn of foot that he showed when winning the Breeders’ Cup.”
Hit It a Bomb is out of the Irish Group 3-winning Sadler’s Wells mare Liscanna, whose three winners from four foals to race includes English Group 1 winner Brave Anna, also by War Front. He is from the family of Group 3 winner The Bogberry.
“Hit It a Bomb’s full sister, also a Group 1 winner, is arguably the best 2-year-old filly in Europe this year, so the family is loaded with talent,” Toffey said. “This is a great opportunity for breeders to earn a lifetime breeding right in one of the most promising sons of War Front you will find at stud.”