Rodman, a graded stakes winner and grade I-placed son of leading sire Malibu Moon , has been acquired by Woodford Thoroughbreds and will stand stud at CloverLeaf Farms II in Reddick, Fla., for the 2012 breeding season.
“He is a late-but-welcome addition to CloverLeaf’s growing stallion roster,” said Matt Lyons, general manager of Woodford and CloverLeaf. “When we heard about his retirement we had to have him. Breeders really turned out in numbers this past Saturday to see him at the farm for the first time, and he was very well received." He joins leading Florida sire Repent and fellow new stallion Crown of Thorns at CloverLeaf.
“Rodman had brilliance as a racehorse, and his sire Malibu Moon is emerging as one of the most influential sons from the A.P. Indy sire line—a sire line that has produced top grandsons of A.P. Indy at stud such as Tapit and Sky Mesa ,” added Lyons.
A winner of six of his 18 starts, Rodman broke his maiden impressively in his debut at Aqueduct in January of his 3-year-old season. He went on to win the Queens County Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct as a 4-year-old.
Last year, Rodman won the Irish Tower Stakes at Aqueduct before running a fast second in the prestigious Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont behind Tizway , defeating eight graded stakes winners and earning a 108 Beyer Speed Figure. Rodman also placed in the Suburban Handicap. (gr. II) behind Flat Out and Hymn Book, who would both go on to win grade I races. Rodman recently retired with earnings of $416,152 and was trained by Michael Hushion.
Rodman is out of the Affirmed mare Crystal Gem, a half sister to multiple stakes winners and stakes producers. He is standing in 2012 for a fee of $2,500 stands and nurses.