Grade I Winner Macho Again Retired

Grade I winner and millionaire Macho Again has been retired from racing and is in the process of being sold to a Venezuelan farm. The 5-year-old son of Macho Uno finished unplaced in his last start, the June 12 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) at Churchill Downs, a race he won in 2009.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds (Terry Finley, president), Macho Again finished in the top two in a dozen of 24 races and earned $1,825,767. He won six of those races.

“He gave us a great ride, and we want to make sure he has a good shot as a stallion,” Finley said. “He retired sound and is in fine shape. We’d like to thank his trainer, Dallas Stewart, and his staff; jockey Robby Albarado; and Buzz Chace.”

Chace, a West Point associate, bought Macho Again for $150,000 at the 2007 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s February sale of 2-year-olds in training from Crupi’s New Castle Farm, agent.

“Two of the partners in Macho Again are partners in Awesome Gem,” Finley said about the horse that won the July 10 Betfair Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I).

Although he threw in a big effort to win last year’s Stephen Foster, Macho Again is best known for a pair of runner-up finishes in major events. He was beaten a head by subsequent Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the 2009 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) and was second to subsequent champion 3-year-old male Big Brown in the 2008 Preakness Stakes (gr. I).

Macho Again also won the 2009 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) and the 2008 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) and the Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III). His other stakes placings came in the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) and the Super Derby (gr. II).

Milan Kosanovich is the breeder of Florida-bred Macho Again, who is a half brother to graded stakes winner Be Fair and is out of the winning Wild Again mare Go Donna Go.