Down the Aisle, defeating Ally's Alley in the United Nations Handicap.
Millionaire Down the Aisle has been retired and will enter stud for a fee of $5,000 at Bruce Kline and Mary Lou Wibel's Dixiana Farm near Lexington. Charles Deters, who bred and raced Down the Aisle, said he has retained all but a 25% interest in the horse, which he sold to Albert Coppola. Coppola owned and raced Down the Aisle's sire, Runaway Groom. Down the Aisle, who was produced from the L'Enjoleur mare That's My Hon, was worse than third only twice in his career and earned $1,007,988 while trained by Bill Mott. He captured this year's United Nations Handicap (gr. IT) in course-record time, plus the Bougainvillea (gr. IIIT), and Kentucky Cup Turf Handicaps. His stakes-placings in 2000 came in the Brooklyn (gr., II) and Hialeah Turf Cup (gr. IIT) Handicaps. Down the Aisle, who won nine of 21 races, made his final start in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT). Under Pat Day, Down the Aisle went along well for the first half of the 1 1/2 mile, but when asked for his move, he did not accelerate and finished 12th. "I think he just decided to protect himself from injury," Deters said. "He has had tendon trouble. Pat said he thinks he decided not to hurt himself."Both Deters and Coppola intend to send about 10 mares to Down the Aisle in 2001.
