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Grade I winner Graydar , Unbridled's Song's undefeated top older horse of 2013, has been retired from racing to stand at the Taylor family's Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville, Ky. as property of a syndicate. His 2014 stud fee will be $15,000 stands and nurses.
"Graydar's quarter crack that forced us to miss the Breeders' Cup wasn't healing like we hoped to be able to make the Cigar Mile or any other grade Is left on the racing calendar," said trainer Todd Pletcher in a release. "He's among the most talented horses I've had the privilege to train. The performance that will always stand out to me was his Donn Handicap (gr. I) win this year. You just don't see horses turn in a dominant performance on that stage in just their fourth career start.
"It was very special, and knowing this horse and how brilliantly fast and good looking he is, I'm very excited about his future as a stallion."
Campaigned by Twin Creeks Racing Stables, Graydar displayed precocious talent from the start, dominating a Gulfstream Park maiden race by 8 1/2 lengths last year in his career debut, earning a 100 Beyer figure.
He returned to capture a one-mile allowance optional claiming race last December at Gulfstream, stopping the clock in 1:33.72—just a hundredth of a second off Commentator's track record of 1:33.71.
Off that impressive allowance score, Graydar stepped right into graded stakes company in the Donn, turning in an electrifying performance to post an easy three-length victory in the race. He earned a 109 Beyer for the performance, which fittingly gave his late sire Unbridled's Song a landmark of 100 career stakes winners, as well as his 15th grade I winner as a stallion.
Graydar took his game on the road in his next start, showing another dimension to win the March 30 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) from off the pace, vaulting to the top of the older horse division in North America.
The imposing gray or roan colt remained undefeated in 2013 after a front-running win in the Sept. 28 Kelso Invitational Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park, running a mile in 1:34 flat while carrying top weight.
Graydar retires with a near-flawless record, having only seen defeat once, and triple-digit Beyers in all but one lifetime start. He earned $841,560.
"Graydar is the closest thing I've seen to Unbridled's Song, and obviously we've had the privilege to be around a lot of good ones through the years," said Taylor Made president Duncan Taylor, in a statement. "His combination of looks, class, and sheer brilliance remind me of his sire, both on and off the racetrack, and he has that special presence about him like Unbridled's Song had.
"We're extremely excited about Graydar and look forward to continuing our great relationship with Steve Davison, Randy Gullatt, and the group at Twin Creeks. We've always felt that Graydar would be a great heir to carry on his terrific sire line."
Bred in Kentucky by William Farish, Graydar is out of the Dehere mare Sweetest Smile. He will stand in 2014 as a Twin Creeks Racing/Taylor Made Stallions venture.
