Mastercraftsman retired to stud

Four-time Group 1 winner Mastercraftsman has been retired from racing to stand at Coolmore Stud in Ireland. Fourth as the favorite in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, the 3-year-old son of Danehill Dancer out of the Black Tie Affair mare Starlight Dreams rated as one of the world's best turf milers this year, winning the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh and the St. James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

As a 2-year-old, Mastercraftsman won his first four starts, all at the Curragh. He took the Group 2 Railway Stakes, then duplicated the feat of his sire by winning the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, and the Group 1 National Stakes.

This year, he concluded his European career with a display of versatility on the Polytrack surface at Dundalk, winning the Group 3 Diamond Stakes. In August he also finished just a length second to the redoubtable Sea the Stars in York's Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes.

Bred in Ireland by Lynch Bages Ltd. and trained by Aidan O'Brien for Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor, Mastercraftsman won 7 of 12 career starts for earnings of $1,731,438. His stud fee at Coolmore will be 20,000 euros ($30,000).