Rule to stand at Vinery New York for $6,500

Millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner Rule has been retired from racing and will stand the 2013 season at Vinery New York in Poughquag.

The 5-year-old Roman Ruler horse and WinStar Farm homebred will join productive young sire Bluegrass Cat as a Vinery/WinStar venture standing in New York. His introductory fee will be $6,500 when the foal stands and nurses and he will also participate in the “Dream Big” breeders’ program.

Out of the Personal Flag mare Rockcide, a half-sister to champion and dual classic winner Funny Cide, Rule posted a career record of six wins, two seconds, and six thirds from 20 starts over four seasons of racing, earning $1,162,350. He won the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot Stakes as a juvenile, the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes as a 3-year-old, and the Monmouth Cup Stakes earlier this year. Rule also placed in three Grade 1 stakes.

“Rule is a natural for New York, and his pedigree should be a familiar one to local breeders,” said WinStar president and CEO Elliott Walden. “Obviously, his dam is the sister of perhaps New York’s greatest racehorse ever in Funny Cide, who was the first Kentucky Derby winner we bred, and the horse that really put WinStar on the map. Rule is an awesome-looking individual and a precocious, high-quality racehorse in his own right.”

The “Dream Big” program requires breeders to breed mares to Rule on a regular stands and nurses basis for the first two years, and then breed to the stallion in years three and four at no charge. After year four, the breeder will receive a lifetime breeding right to Rule in exchange for the early support.

Rule will be available for inspection at Vinery New York beginning next week.