Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC's MGSW McCraken (Ghostzapper-Ivory Empress, by Seeking the Gold) has been retired from racing and will stand at Airdrie Stud in 2019, it was announced Tuesday. The 'TDN Rising Star' retires with overall earnings of $869,728 and a record of 6-1-3 from 14 lifetime starts.
A Janis Whitham homebred trained by Ian Wilkes, McCraken was undefeated in three starts as a juvenile, including victories in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. and Street Sense S. at Churchill Downs. He kicked off his 3-year-old campaign in 2017 with a score in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. and, after missing the GII Tampa Bay Derby with a minor setback, he closed to finish third in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland and was a troubled eighth in the GI Kentucky Derby. He bounced out of that effort with a score in the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill, which he used as a springboard to a narrow runner-up finish behind Girvin (Tale of Ekati) in a thrilling renewal of the GI Betfair.com Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.
Seventh in the GI Travers S. and third in Keeneland's GIII Fayette S. to round out his sophomore season, McCraken won once from four starts as a 4-year-old in 2018 and added a third-place finish in the GIII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. He was last seen finishing sixth over a rain-drenched track in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Aug. 4.
“Everyone gets excited when a horse is talented enough to do what they really shouldn't be able to do,” said Airdrie's Bret Jones. “By anyone's definition, Ghostzapper is one of the best stallions in America, but McCraken remains the only Graded Stakes-winning 2-year-old son he's ever produced. Not only that, but he was a truly dominant, undefeated juvenile that could then train on to be a track-record setter and multiple graded-stakes winner at three. His record of six wins in seven starts at a mile and a sixteenth or less also demonstrates that he's got the miler speed and turn of foot that has been the signature of so many leading sires. We really believe he offers our breeders tremendous upside at a very reasonable stud fee for a beautifully bred, exceptionally talented horse that was a nose bob away from winning the GI Haskell.”
McCraken is the second foal out of Ivory Empress, whose first foal, Bondurant, is also graded stakes-placed. Ivory Empress is out of the Graded Stakes winner and Grade I-placed Madame Pandit, who is also the dam of the Grade I winner Mea Domina. McCraken will stand for $10,000 in 2019.
“McCraken was one of the most naturally talented horses I've ever been around and his turn of foot was second to none,” said Wilkes. “He took the Whitham family and our stable on a great ride and I look forward to training Grade I winners by him in the future.”
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