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Country Star, the second-best 2-year-old filly of 2007, has been retired from racing to become a broodmare. Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley operation privately acquired her in the second half of last year from her breeder, Robert and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable.
A 4-year-old daughter of Empire Maker, Country Star was scratched from the Feb. 14 Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I) at Santa Anita after she flipped in the gate. She emerged from the incident unscathed. In her only start for Darley, she finished second in the Jan. 18 El Encino Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita.
Country Star won the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland and the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I) in track-record time for Stonerside at 2. She finished second in Eclipse Award balloting behind champion Indian Blessing.
Country Star, who was a winner at Saratoga last year, retired with three wins from seven starts and earnings of $668,865 while trained by Bobby Frankel. Her dam, Rings a Chime (by Metfield) won the 2000 Ashland Stakes (gr. I).
Breeding plans are undecided.
