Richard's Kid, Lady of Fifty retired from racing

ARCADIA, Calif. – Lady of Fifty and Richard’s Kid, graded stakes winners at Del Mar during the summer, have been retired, their respective trainers said Tuesday.

Lady of Fifty, winner of the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar last month, will be sold as a broodmare prospect at Keeneland in November, according to co-owner and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

Richard’s Kid, who won the Grade 3 Cougar II at Del Mar in July, has been retired after the presence of heat was found in a tendon, trainer Doug O’Neill said.

Lady of Fifty and Richard’s Kid were candidates for stakes at Santa Anita this weekend and for Breeders’ Cup races in November.

Lady of Fifty was nominated for Saturday’s $250,000 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita. With her win in the $301,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes on Aug. 3, Lady of Fifty earned a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.

“She has a little issue,” Hollendorfer said of Lady of Fifty’s condition. “She will go to the sale and won’t race again.”

Co-owned by Hollendorfer and George Todaro, Lady of Fifty, a 4-year-old filly by After Market, won six stakes. The Clement Hirsch was her most prestigious win. She also won the Grade 2 Bayakoa Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park last December. Earlier in her career, Lady of Fifty won three consecutive stakes at Golden Gate Fields from November 2011 to January 2012.

Lady of Fifty won 7 of 16 starts and $593,000.

Richard’s Kid was nominated for Saturday’s $250,000 Awesome Again Stakes and was a candidate for the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon over 1 1/2 miles on Nov. 1. Stud plans have not been finalized, O’Neill said.

“We’ll do what is in his best interest in regards to finding him a place as a stallion,” O’Neill said.

Richard’s Kid, an 8-year-old horse by Lemon Drop Kid, won 12 of 47 starts and $2,482,259. He finished fourth in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 25 in his final start.

Richard’s Kid won eight stakes, including consecutive runnings of the Pacific Classic in 2009 and 2010. He was owned by Arnold Zetcher in 2009 and by Zabeel International by the 2010 race. In August, 2012, Richard’s Kid was purchased by his current owners – Paul Boghossian, Dave Kenny, Mark Verge, Dan Kramer, and Steve Keh.

Via Villaggio set for Zenyatta Stakes

In the Zenyatta, Hollendorfer will run Via Villaggio, a 4-year-old filly owned by California Horse Racing Board commissioner Steve Beneto. Via Villaggio was sixth in the Clement Hirsch and third in the Adoration Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 1.

“We expect her to run a big race,” Hollendorfer said.

Via Villaggio worked seven furlongs in 1:25.80 at Betfair Hollywood Park on Monday.

For the Zenyatta, Via Villaggio is part of a field expected to include Authenticity, Beholder, Flashy American, Great Hot, Include Me Out, Magic Union, and More Chocolate.

The Awesome Again and Zenyatta are two of five Grade 1, $250,000 races at Santa Anita on Saturday that are preps for Breeders’ Cup races Nov. 1-2.

Unbridled’s Note to defend Eddie D title

Friday is opening day of the Santa Anita autumn meeting, a program that includes the $100,000 Eddie D Stakes over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

Defending champion Unbridled’s Note is among the 14 probable starters in a field expected to include the stakes winners Boat Trip, Caracortado, Chips All in, Handsome Mike, Majestic City, Rosengold, Sirocco Strike, and Snowday.

Unbridled’s Note, trained by Steve Asmussen, has not started since finishing eighth in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes in May. Unbridled’s Note won the Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Feb. 23.