Rombauer to stand stud at War Horse Place in 2024

Rombauer, winner of the 2021 Preakness Stakes, will begin his stallion career in 2024 at War Horse Place in Lexington, Ky.

The farm posted the announcement on its official webpage, saying that Rombauer will stand for an introductory fee of $6,000, alongside stallions Sacred Life and Smooth Like Strait. John Fradkin, who raced Rombauer as a homebred with wife, Diane Fradkin, confirmed the son of Twirling Candy's retirement in a text message Wednesday.

Rombauer's retirement was initially announced in January 2022 due to ankle troubles. The Fradkins hoped to stand the young stallion in Kentucky, but due to the timing of his retirement, with the breeding season beginning a matter of weeks later and many top mares already committed elsewhere, it was accepted that the horse might begin his stud career at a later date. Rombauer was put back in light training this year as the owners considered returning the horse to racing, but a comeback never materialized.

Rombauer officially concludes his career with a record of 8-3-1-2 and earnings of $1,040,500. The versatile runner was a debut winner on turf and second, beaten less than a length, in the Grade 1 American Pharoah on dirt as a juvenile.

Early the following year, Rombauer won the El Camino Real Derby on a synthetic surface, then was third in the Grade 2 Blue Grass on dirt. Those performances earned him a shot at some of the spring classics. Rombauer won the Preakness Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths. He went on to run third in the Belmont Stakes in what proved his career finale.

Rombauer is out of the Cowboy Cal mare Cashmere, a half-sister to Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner California Flag and to graded stakes winner Cambiocorsa. The latter is the dam of graded stakes winners Moulin de Mougin and Schiparelli and stakes winners Alexis Tangier and Bronson; it is the immediate family of European Horse of the Year Roaring Lion.

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