Mucho Macho Man , dramatic winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Frank Stronach's Adena Springs Farm near Paris, Ky., for the 2015 season. A fee will be announced at a later date.
Mucho Macho Man, a 6-year-old son of Macho Uno —Ponche de Leona, by Ponche, heads to the breeding shed having earned $5,625,410 in a 25-start career over five racing seasons. He recorded nine wins (six stakes), five seconds, and three thirds.
"Mucho Macho Man was so tough and genuine," trainer Kathy Ritvo said. "He gave his all every time. After five seasons of training and racing, he shows signs of some minor wear and tear. He is still sound and happy, but we have decided that it is in his best interests to retire him. He has nothing more to prove to any of us."
Campaigned for most of his career by Dean and Patti Reeves and trained by Ritvo, Mucho Macho Man placed in the Nashua and Remsen (both gr. II) stakes at 2. Put on the Triple Crown trail, he won the Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) in mid-February 2011 and was third, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II).
In the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), the Florida-bred finished third behind champion Animal Kingdom and Nehro. Mucho Macho Man also ran in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I; sixth) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I; seventh).
Following the Triple Crown races, Mucho Macho Man won or placed in 12 of 14 starts (nine grade I or grade II). His seven wins included scores in the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) and Suburban Handicap (gr. II) at 4 while running second, by a neck, to To Honor and Serve in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) and second, beaten a half-length, by Fort Larned in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
At 5 he won the Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park as a prep for his score in the Classic that came over 3-year-old champion Will Take Charge and Declaration of War . This year he made two starts, winning the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park for a second time and finished his career with a fourth-place effort in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) under 124 pounds.
Owner Dean Reeves said: "Mucho Macho Man gave Patti and our team enormous pleasure. He has generated so many fans, both in the state of Georgia and nationwide. We are extremely excited about him joining the star-studded roster at Adena Springs, and look forward to supporting him as a stallion and racing his progeny."
Said Frank Stronach, whose Adena Springs planned the mating which produced Mucho Macho Man before selling him in utero at the 2007 Keeneland November sale: "The Breeders' Cup Classic is a true championship race, and a forecaster of the industry's future top sires. Mucho Macho Man campaigned against the best every year ages two through six, and consistently excelled around two turns on the dirt. He will be an important addition to our roster."
Ponche de Leona won the Anoakia Stakes at 2. In an eight-start career she won twice and placed six times while earning $260,870. Mucho Macho Man is her second foal.
Carrying a full sibling to Mucho Macho Man she sold for $300,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November breeding stock sale to Black Rock Stables, Sallusto & Albina, agent. Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, agent, sold her in foal to Distorted Humor to Brushwood Stable at this year's Keeneland January sale for $775,000.
Mucho Macho Man will stand alongside his sire, Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner and champion Macho Uno, and four other Classic winners: Alphabet Soup, Awesome Again , Fort Larned, and Ghostzapper .