Graded Winner Soto to Highclere

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Soto, a graded winner at two and three, will enter stud at Jeffry Morris' Highclere near Lexington. The 4-year-old son of champion Dehere will stand for $7,500 live foal.

Unbeaten in his first five races, Soto won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs at two and last year's West Virginia Derby (gr. III) over Dynever in track-record time of 1:46.29 at Mountaineer Park while registering a 114 Beyer Speed Figure. In what proved to be his final start, he finished second by a half-length to winner Ten Most Wanted in the Super Derby (gr. II) at Louisiana Downs even though he sustained an injury during the race.

One of 55 stakes winners by Dehere, Soto retired with earnings of $666,164 from those six starts for Galopp and trainer Michael Dickinson. He is out of the winning Crafty Prospector mare Subtle Fragrance, and his second dam is a half-sister to grade II winner Bet Big.

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