Paynter to WinStar Farm following Classic

Grade 1 winner Paynter, who captured the racing world’s attention with a remarkable comeback from illness this year, will enter stud in 2014 at WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky.

The 4-year-old son of Awesome Again, campaigned by Ahmed Zayat’s Zayat Stables, will make his final career start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park, the owner’s son and racing manager Justin confirmed on Twitter Tuesday afternoon. A stud fee will be announced at a later date.

Paynter finished second to Union Rags in the 2012 Belmont Stakes before winning the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. However, following that victory, he became ill with a series of ailments including colitis and laminitis, undergoing abdominal surgery and spending a significant amount of time in veterinary clinics. He returned to training this year and has finished second in both the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes and Grade 2 San Diego Handicap. His record going into the Classic stands at four wins and four runner-up efforts from 10 career starts, for earnings of $1,101,924

Out of the Cee’s Tizzy mare Tizso, Paynter is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Tiz West, stakes winner Tizakitty, stakes-placed Tizalovelylady, and stakes producer Tizprecious. Tizso is a full sister to two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year Tiznow, Grade 2 winners Budroyale and Tizdubai, and stakes winner Tizbud.

Tizso is also a full sister to Tizamazing, dam of Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow and stakes winner Awesome Patriot, both by Paynter’s sire Awesome Again. Both of those horses will also begin their stallion careers in 2014 – Oxbow at Taylor Made Farm and Awesome Patriot at Spendthrift Farm.

WinStar Farm stands three other runners formerly campaigned by the Zayats in Bodemeister, Pioneerof the Nile, and Maimonides. The farm also has strong ties to the family tree that produced Paynter, standing prolific sire Tiznow, as well as his Grade 1-winning sons Colonel John and Gemologist.

“When we set our goals for 2013, one of them was to get Paynter into the WinStar stallion barn,” said WinStar President and CEO Elliott Walden. “I look at our stallions in North America today and I see real dirt pedigrees slipping away from us. WinStar remains focused on the classics and striving to bring home stallions that excel at running around two turns on the dirt. Paynter’s pedigree and race record epitomizes the classic American dirt horse … I am elated we got him; he was our first round draft pick.”