Texas Bling retired to stud duty in Texas

Texas Bling, who pulled a 128-1 upset at Remington Park in 2012 when he won the $300,000 Springboard Mile over eventual champion Will Take Charge, has been retired, said trainer Danele Durham. The horse will enter stud next year at Brazos Reproduction Center in Weatherford, Texas.

Texas Bling, a 6-year-old by Too Much Bling, retires with earnings of $406,072. He won consecutive runnings of the Assault Stakes at Lone Star Park in 2014 and 2015 and made his last start in the race this year, finishing fourth July 9.

“He’s been so good to us,” said Durham, who trained Texas Bling for his breeder, Hall’s Family Trust. “We wanted to see him retire at the pinnacle of his career. We said, ‘Let’s go out in a stakes race, and let’s open the next chapter of his life.’ ”

Other highlights of Texas Bling’s career included finishing second by a neck to Will Take Charge in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn in 2013 and running fourth behind Will Take Charge and eventual Preakness winner Oxbow in the Grade 2 Rebel.

But the defining race for Texas Bling will be the Springboard Mile, which he entered two starts after he won a maiden special weight at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf at Remington. The long odds surprised Durham.

“I thought the odds board was broken because I never expected him to be at those kind of odds,” she said. “We definitely went up there positive, knowing we had a good chance to win, and he came through.”

:: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales

Texas Bling’s three career stakes wins came at a mile, and that bodes well for his stallion career, said Durham.

“He was very effective at that distance with his heart and his speed,” she said. “And he is so smart. He knew what the game was all about. He knew what he was going out there for.”

Durham said Texas Bling will stand for Hall’s Family Trust. His stud fee is private, and there are special considerations for mares who are winners or producers. Durham said the Lewis Hall Jr. family will be supporting its homebred at stud. Texas Bling is out of the Country Pine mare Anythingmore.

“Mr. Hall, who sends his mares to Kentucky, will breed the mares that he has that are crosses with him and stay in Texas this year,” said Durham.

Durham and Hall will be active on the Oklahoma Derby undercard Sunday at Remington, running the 2-year-olds Cu Rahy, a son of Curlin, and Score Time, by Even the Score, in the $75,000 Kip Deville.