Belmont winner Birdstone retires to Old Friends centre in Kentucky

Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone, who sired two American Classic winners in his first crop, has been retired from stud duty at Gainesway and taken up residency at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center near Georgetown, Kentucky.

"We are so grateful to John Hendrickson for allowing Old Friends to care for Birdstone in his post-breeding career," said Michael Blowen, the founder and president of Old Friends, referring to the husband of the late Marylou Whitney.

"He's a living tribute to Marylou Whitney, and we plan to carry on her great contributions to the aftercare of both humans and horses. We're extremely grateful to John for trusting us to care for his tremendous stakes winner. Birdstone had a great life at Gainesway, and we plan to continue that tradition at Old Friends."

A homebred for Whitney and trained by Nick Zito, Birdstone showed his quality early by winning his debut at two at Saratoga by 12 and a half lengths.

He went on finish off the board in the Hopeful Stakes but next won the Champagne Stakes. At three, Birdstone won an allowance race before finishing eighth in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.

Zito kept him out of the Preakness Stakes and aimed for the Belmont Stakes, where a sell-out crowd buzzed over Smarty Jones' bid to sweep the Triple Crown. Birdstone played the 36-1 spoiler, chasing down the favourite in the final strides to win by a length.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry that Smarty Jones couldn't win today," Whitney said while accepting the Belmont trophy. "We would have been happy to run second."

Birdstone proved the Belmont was no fluke, though, by capturing the Grade 1 Travers Stakes. The son of Grindstone out of Dear Birdie retired from racing due to an ankle chip with five wins out of nine starts and $1,575,600 in earnings.

Gainesway launched Birdstone's stallion career in 2005 at $10,000. As a freshman sire, he finished the year among the top 10 of his class, which includes prominent sires Tapit , Medaglia d'Oro and Speightstown.

His first crop improved when they matured and started racing longer distances. His gelded son Mine That Bird stunned the 2009 Kentucky Derby crowd at 50-1 under Calvin Borel, and six weeks later it was Summer Bird standing in the winner's circle at Belmont Park wearing the blanket of white carnations.

After adding victories in the Shadwell Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, Summer Bird was honoured as the champion three-year-old for 2009.

Birdstone sired 22 black-type winners, who included 10 graded stakes winners and three champions. His progeny have earned nearly $30 million and averaged $62,711 per runner.

"He gave us the ride of a lifetime, and we could not have been more proud, so we wanted to be sure he had a nice home," Hendrickson said. "Old Friends had inquired about him, and I thought, 'What would Marylou do?' She would want him to have the best home.

"I didn't know he had fans," he joked. "I thought everyone hated him because he beat Smarty Jones, but apparently he has a following. He is a very friendly horse, and I think people will enjoy his personality. He is going to get cared for, and he'll be loved. Like we do with all our horses, it is whatever is best for them."

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