It's Official: War Chant Being Retired to Stud

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Irving and Marjorie Cowan announced Friday that Breeders' Cup Mile winner War Chant will be retired to enter stud at Robert N. Clay's Three Chimneys Farm for the 2001 breeding season. He will stand for a live foal fee of $75,000. The announcement ended speculation about whether the 3-year-old colt would be campaigned next year. Cowan said it has not been decided whether War Chant will run in the Hollywood Derby (gr. I) on Nov. 26 or if he has made his last start.

"I'd love to run him another year," said Cowan. "But the demand is just so very strong for this horse. He's the complete package – by Danzig, out of an Eclipse Award and Breeders' Cup winner (Hollywood Wildcat. He's a miler, a graded stakes winner on dirt and turf, a millionaire and a Breeders' Cup winner. His performance in the Breeders' Cup Mile was just so amazing that he's really captured breeders' attention. While I'm as much of a sportsman as anyone else, I'm a businessman, too, and you just have to consider the economics of the situation. We have not decided whether War Chant will run in the Hollywood Derby. It would be his third major test in just six weeks, so we will let him tell us what is best."

In seven starts, War Chant has a record of five wins and one second, with earnings of $1,064,250. The only time he finished out of the money was when he was injured and unplaced in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). After recovering from a hairline shoulder fracture, he won his first start back in the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile S. (gr. II) on grass on October 14. In the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I, War Chant was second-last turning for home and was still ninth in midstretch, before unleashing a winning run in the last eighth of a mile that jockey Gary Stevens described as "unbelievable".

War Chant was syndicated for his future career at Three Chimneys just prior to the Kentucky Derby. Stonerside Stable purchased one-quarter of the shares, Three Chimneys and their clients purchased one-quarter and Mr. and Mrs. Cowan will retain 50% ownership of the horse.

A millionaire who is among the leading contenders for an Eclipse Award as champion male turf horse, War Chant was the third highest vote-getter in the year-end NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll.

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