Kingsbarns retired from racing after ligament injury
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SARATOGA SPRNGS, N.Y. – Kingsbarns, whose victory in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 29 put him in the upper echelon of the older male dirt division, has been retired from racing after developing a ligament injury, his connections said Wednesday.
Kingsbarns, who was pointing to the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 1 at Saratoga, worked a half-mile in 48.85 seconds here Aug. 4. Shortly thereafter he was diagnosed with a strained suspensory ligament to his left foreleg, according to Ned Toffey, general manager of Spendthrift Farm, which owns and will stand the horse at stud in 2025.
“This would be the kind of thing that would need months, not days or weeks” to heal, Toffey said. “The plan had been to run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic and retire him in ’25. Unfortunately, we’ll now do his stud as is.”
Kingsbarns, a son of Uncle Mo out of the Tapit mare Lady Tapit, brought $800,000 at the Fasig-Tipton March 2022 2-year-olds in training sale. He began his career in January 2023 and won his first three starts, including the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. Sent off the 11-1 fifth choice in a field of 18 in the Kentucky Derby, Kingsbarns finished 14th after pressing a pretty hot early pace.
Following a narrow defeat in the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in June 2023, Kingsbarns was given the remainder of the year off.
Kingsbarns, trained by Todd Pletcher, kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with an allowance win going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park. He followed that with a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade3 Ben Ali at Keeneland. Kingsbarns finished second to Pyrenees in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special, but avenged that defeat by beating Pyrenees by 2 1/2 lengths in the Stephen Foster.
“He had a terrific disposition, easy to train, he put together a good resume,” Pletcher said. “Seemed like he came back great this year, the Stephen Foster was his best race to date.”
Kingsbarns retired with a record of 9-6-2-0 and earnings of $1,559,060.
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