McCraken retired from stud, pensioned to Old Friends

Multiple graded stakes winner McCraken has been pensioned from his stallion career and retired to Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky. The now-gelded 10-year-old son of Ghostzapper had stood at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky.

“It is already evident to me that this well-mannered multiple stakes winner is going to be a real hit with our many visitors to Old Friends,” said John Nicholson, who took over last month as president and CEO of Old Friends for founder Michael Blowen. “We are grateful to Bret Jones and all the folks at Airdrie Stud for giving McCraken such a fulfilling retirement and a chance to be celebrated by racing fans everywhere.”

McCraken, who raced as a homebred for Whitham Thoroughbreds, won the Street Sense Stakes and Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes as a juvenile; and the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes and Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes the following year. He placed in four additional stakes, including a narrow runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational.

McCraken began his stallion career in 2019 at Airdrie, and stood five seasons. He is the sire of 24 winners from 39 starters through March 26, including stakes winners Release McCraken and Una Palabra.

In addition to McCraken, Old Friends’ newest arrivals include dual classic winner and champion I’ll Have Another, whose arrival was celebrated last week.

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