Multiple grade I winner Presious Passion, who finished second in the 2009 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT), has been retired to Joseph and Helen Barbazon’s farm in Ocala, Fl.
The 9-year-old gelding by Royal Anthem out of the Marquetry mare Princesa's Passion ran his final race June 10, when he finished sixth in the Monmouth Stakes (gr. IIT).
“It was awfully tough to say good-bye to him and I’ll really miss him,” said Mary Hartmann, who trained Presious Passion for owner Patricia Generazio. “We had a great time together and it was a great run.”
The chestnut gelding began his career in a maiden special weight for 2-year-olds in December of 2005 and made another 51 starts, winning 14 times, placing seven times, and finishing third twice as he amassed earnings of $2,694,599. Included on his resume are triumphs in the 2009 Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship Stakes (gr. IT) and the 2008-09 editions of the United Nations Stakes (gr. IT).
He also won the 2009-10 editions of the Mac Diarmida Stakes (gr. IIT) at Gulfstream Park and the W. L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT) at Calder in 2007-08. His other graded stakes triumphs include the 2007 Pan American Handicap (gr. IIIT) and the Cliff Hanger Stakes (gr. IIIT).
Although Presious Passion competed at many different tracks, Monmouth Park was always his home. He made 17 starts there, 15 of which were on the turf. In those 15 races, he won five, finished second three times, and was third once as he earned $1,145,500 on the course.
