Champion Proud Spell Retired

Brereton C. Jones’ homebred champion Proud Spell has been retired from racing and bred to Indian Charlie, who stands at Jones’ Airdrie Stud near Midway, Ky. The breeding took place April 11.

Proud Spell, who was voted 2008 champion 3-year-old filly, won or placed in all 13 starts and earned $2,131,610 for trainer J. Larry Jones. Her biggest wins came in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) and Alabama Stakes (gr. I).

By Airdrie stallion Proud Citizen , Proud Spell started this year with a runner-up effort in an optional claiming race March 12 at Oaklawn Park in a prep for the April 4 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at the Arkansas track. She later came down with an infection in a rear leg.

“The infection would not have caused her retirement were we not already thinking about retiring her,” Brereton Jones said. “We had made the decision to race her this year, and we felt comfortable with that, but when she got the infection, it meant we couldn’t make the Apple Blossom because she needed a work. She needed a stiff workout before the race because she had been off for such a long time (since last fall). She couldn’t train for a week or 10 days and that would have put us even further behind. So we retired her. There’s a little swelling in the ankle, but there’s no chip. The infection is not of great significance.

“As for sending her to Indian Charlie, he moves his mares up more dramatically than most any other stallion out there. I think it’s appropriate to send a young mare that you have high hopes for to a stallion like that.”

Typical of a champion, Proud Spell evened the score and then some against several key rivals last year. She defeated champion 2-year-old filly Indian Blessing (also by Indian Charlie) in the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) after finishing second to her in the Silverbulletday Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds. Against Little Belle, Proud Spell beat her by five lengths in the Kentucky Oaks after running third to her in the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland. In New York, Proud Spell defeated Music Note in the historic Alabama after placing to her in the Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I).

Proud Spell also won that year’s Delaware Oaks (gr. II). She ran second in the Fitz Dixon Cotillion Stakes (gr. II) in September in her last start of the year.

At 2, Proud Spell was the third-highest-weighted filly on the Experimental Free Handicap for fillies, at 119 pounds. She won three races, including the Matron (gr. II) and White Clay Creek Stakes, and ran second in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I).

Proud Spell, who won seven races, is out of the winning Langfuhr mare Pacific Spell, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Call Her Magic. Pacific Spell is carrying a full sibling to Proud Spell and is booked to Unbridled's Song.