Volponi sold to Korean race body

Volponi, the winner of the 2002 Breeders' Cup Classic who has spent the last two years at stud in central Kentucky, has been sold to the Korean Racing Association and will stand in 2006 at the Jeju Stud in South Korea.

Volponi, who was owned by a syndicate, has stood since his retirement in late 2003 at Hopewell Stud outside Lexington, Ky., for a $10,000 fee. During his first two years at stud, he covered approximately 140 mares, according to Rick Trontz, the owner of Hopewell and a member of the ownership syndicate.

"It was just a good business decision," Trontz said on Wednesday, declining to give a purchase price. "I think he would have made a very good stallion here, but this is a very tough market. Now, he's guaranteed success."

In addition to the Breeders' Cup Classic, Volponi, trained by P.G. Johnson, won the Grade 2 Pegasus Handicap in 2002 and was second in both the Grade 1 Whitney and Suburban handicaps in 2003 at age 5.

Volponi is by Cryptoclearance out of the Sir Harry Lewis mare Prom Knight.