Classic Winner Oxbow to Taylor Made Stallions

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Calumet Farm's Oxbow  , a leading 3-year-old of 2013 and winner of this year's Preakness Stakes (gr. I), has been retired and will stand the 2014 breeding season at Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Ky.

The son of Awesome Again  —Tizamazing, by Cee's Tizzy, will stand for $20,000 stands and nurses.

"We are absolutely thrilled and very appreciative that Calumet Farm has made the decision to stand Oxbow at Taylor Made, along with their plans to support his stallion career," said Ben Taylor, vice president of Taylor Made Stallions. "To us, Oxbow is the classic, two-turn dirt horse that both the breeders and yearling buyers look for. He was a major contender in every Triple Crown race and is one of the toughest horses I've seen in some time."

Bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables, Oxbow was a $250,000 Keeneland September sale graduate in 2011 and raced for Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm. Oxbow broke his maiden by 4 3/4 lengths while sprinting as a 2-year-old at Churchill Downs. He then went on a run of nine straight graded stakes starts—six grade I races—at seven different racetracks, in seven different states, and at six different distances. The bay colt became a top contender in the 2013 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) after a front-running, 11 1/2-length victory in the Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in his 3-year-old debut.

Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, Oxbow had a pair of near misses with unlucky trips in the Risen Star Stakes (gr. II), where he was fourth, beaten just a half-length, and the Rebel Stakes (gr. II), where he missed by a head to stablemate Will Take Charge this spring.

In the Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, Oxbow used his high-cruising speed to score his biggest career win at Pimlico Race Course, earning a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

Oxbow returned to New York three weeks later to finish a game runner-up in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) after being involved in the fastest pace set in the final leg of the Triple Crown since Secretariat's record run in 1973. Oxbow also became the only 3-year-old in 2013 to finish first or second in two Triple Crown races.

He retires with earnings of $1,243,500.

"There's so much to like about Oxbow," Lukas said. "When we bought him as a yearling he was so athletic that it looked like you could put a saddle on him and run him. He was one tough son of a gun and as durable as they make them. On top of his great pedigree, Oxbow has the most important trait a stallion needs, and that's his natural speed and ability to carry it over a distance of ground."

"Oxbow is a special horse," said Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, who rode Oxbow in his last five starts. "He has the speed of a sprinter, stamina of a classic winner, and the heart of a champion. And he's so intelligent."

He is the first American classic winner for Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Awesome Again.

Oxbow is the third foal out of Tizamazing, a full sister to two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner and leading sire Tiznow   and $2.8 million-earner Budroyale, who ran second in the 1999 Breeders' Cup Classic. A full sister, Tizso, is the dam of 2013 Classic contender Paynter   (by Awesome Again).

Tiznow is the sire of 45 stakes winners including 2013 grade I winners Strong Mandate and Tiz Miz Sue.

Oxbow is a full brother to stakes winner and grade III-placed Awesome Patriot  .