Breeders' Cup hero Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy-Leslie's Lady, by Tricky Creek), a half-brother to four-time Eclipse champion Beholder (Henny Hughes), has been retired and will stand at Coolmore's American arm, Ashford Stud, in Kentucky next year, Coolmore announced Sunday. The $3-million 2016 KEESEP sale topper, who raced for Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, will command a fee of $35,000.
Runner-up in the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. at Newmarket as a juvenile for Aidan O'Brien, the bay returned Stateside from Ireland for the first time with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar last November. He resurfaced this term with a win in the all-weather Listed Patton S. at Dundalk in early March. After an 18 1/2-length romp-good for a new track record–in his initial foray over dirt in the G2 UAE Derby at Meydan at the end of the month, the colt would travel six more times Stateside from his Irish base while being campaigned exclusively over the main track. Third in the GIII Dwyer S. in July, the Clarkland Farm-bred finished second in the GI Travers S. at the end of August, and was again the third horse home in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. facing elders Sept. 29. Mendelssohn retires with a mark of 13-4-2-2, $2,542,137.
“All of our team loved Mendelssohn from the first time we saw him as a yearling and he has developed into a magnificent looking horse,” said Coolmore America manager Dermot Ryan. “Being by our own Scat Daddy and a half-brother to Into Mischief and Beholder, you couldn't ask for a better pedigree and he showed real brilliance when winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar and the UAE Derby by a street recording a new track record. He also ran some excellent races in defeat this fall, notably in the Travers and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. We have already had a huge number of enquiries about him and I have no doubt that he will prove extremely popular.”
A son of listed victress and top producer Leslie's Lady, Mendelssohn is also a half-brother to GI CashCall Futurity S. hero and successful sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday), as well as the dam of SW & GSP Harry's Holiday (Harlan's Holiday) and MGSP Remedy (Creative Cause). GI California S. hero Roanoke (Pleasant Colony) lies under the fourth dam.
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