Niigon to stand at Ontario farm

Niigon, the 2004 Queen's Plate winner, will enter his first year at stud in 2007 at John Burness's Colebrook Farms Stallion Station in Uxbridge, Ontario.

A 5-year-old son of Unbridled, Niigon has not raced since finishing fifth in the Hal's Hope Stakes on Jan. 6 at Gulfstream Park in Florida. He emerged from that race with a chip in his right front ankle, ultimately leading to his retirement.

Niigon was bred and raced by Robert and Mark Krembil's Chiefswood Stable, who own Niigon's dam, the Nureyev mare Savethelastdance.

Niigon was third in the Grade 2 Grey Breeders' Cup Stakes while still a maiden as a 2-year-old in 2003. At 3, he quickly improved under the tutelage of trainer Eric Coatrieux, finishing second to archrival A Bit O'Gold in the Plate Trial Stakes before reversing that finish in the Queen's Plate. A Bit O'Gold defeated Niigon in the Prince of Wales Stakes before Niigon set out for an American campaign. Last year, Niigon was second in the Dominion Day, Durham Cup, and Woodbine Slots Cup.

"He's a great looking horse and was a very good racehorse," said Burness. "We don't have a lot of stallions that can go long in Ontario. He should definitely make it as a stallion."

Niigon, who won 4 of 23 starts and $1,099,532, will stand for a fee of $5,000 Canadian.