Oaklawn Park: Going Ballistic retired from racing, may stand in California

Going Ballistic, a Grade 2 winner of $1.1 million, has been retired, owner Mike Kindred said. The horse, who is now 8, is currently at a Texas farm and negotiations are taking place to potentially stand him at stud in California.

“Right now, we’re working on a deal,” Kindred said Friday.

Going Ballistic, who had a thrilling closing kick, won six stakes during his career, on both dirt and turf. Back in 2007, he won the Grade 2 Super Derby and the $300,000 Oklahoma Derby in back-to-back starts.

“There was about a month there we were on cloud nine with him,” Kindred said. “He was always a horse that tried when he got his racetrack. He was always competitive. [But] last year, he didn’t seem to have the same interest in it. He was healthy and sound and could go back to the track today. I just think as a stallion getting a little older, he lost interest.”

Going Ballistic made just four starts last year, with his best effort a fourth-place finish in the $100,000 Governor’s Cup at Remington Park on Aug. 20. He is a son of Lite the Fuse and was trained throughout his career by Donnie Von Hemel.