Richard's Kid , two-time winner of the Pacific Classic (gr. I) and of six total graded stakes through a 47-start career, has been retired due to a slight tendon tear.
The 8-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid retires with earnings of $2,482,259, with stud plans to be determined.
Richard's Kid recently ran fourth in the Aug. 25 TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar, and won the July 26 Cougar II Handicap (gr. III) there earlier this summer. He also took the 2012 edition of the Cougar II, won the 2010 Goodwood Stakes (gr. I) at Oak Tree at Betfair Hollywood Park, and won the 2010 San Antonio Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park.
Maryland-bred Horse of the Year in 2009 and 2010, he hit the board in 27 starts, set a track record for 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar that still stands (2:29.22), and is the Hollywood Park track record holder for 1 3/8 miles (2:16.43).
Richard's Kid was trained through 16 starts on the East Coast by Richard Small for breeder Robert Meyerhoff's Fitzhugh LLC, then was purchased by Arnold Zetcher and campaigned by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert through five outings before he was sold to Zabeel Racing International. Baffert continued to condition the bay runner through eight more starts, until he was purchased by a partnership group including Paul Sr., Paul Jr. and Christopher Boghossian's Triple B Farms and also consisting of Mark Verge's Westside Rentals, Dave Kenny, Steve Keh, and Danny Kramer.
At that time the horse was transferred to the barn of Doug O'Neill. He raced 12 times for O'Neill, who announced his retirement Sept. 24.
"It has been a pleasure to have such an incredible gentleman of a horse in our barn," Team O'Neill said via Facebook. "We wish him well in his next career at stud."
Richard's Kid was bred in Maryland by Fitzhugh out of the Broad Brush mare Tough Broad. He retires with a 12-3-12 record overall.