Miswaki retired from stud

Miswaki, sire of the 1991 Horse of the Year, Black Tie Affair, and 95 other stakes winners, has been retired from stud duty at age 26 because of declining fertility, Walmac International announced Tuesday.

A son of Mr. Prospector, Miswaki will remain at the Lexington, Ky., farm as a pensioner. He stood there for 22 years and was one of the foundation stallions for the operation, owned by John T.L. Jones Jr.

Miswaki, a son of the Buckpasser mare Hopespringseternal, was bred in Florida by Bruce Campbell and Early Bird Stud. He bloomed into a Group 1 winner in France and was Group 1-placed in England. In North America, he won Belmont's ungraded Charles Hatton Stakes and was second in the Grade 2 Fall Highweight Handicap in 1981. He won 6 of 13 starts, finishing second four times and third once. He retired with career earnings of $232,320.

Black Tie Affair, winner of the 1991 Breeders' Cup Classic and 11 other graded stakes, remains Miswaki's chief earner, with more than $3.3 million in winnings.

Miswaki's stakes winners in 2004 are headed by Sir Shackleton, who won the West Virginia Derby last week and the Derby Trial in April, both Grade 3 events.

Miswaki also became an influential broodmare sire in England, France, and the United States. His daughter Urban Sea - one of Miswaki's nine champions worldwide - also was named English and Irish broodmare of the year in 2001.