Grade II winner Trappe Shot has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2012 at Claiborne Farm, according to farm representative Bernie Sams. The 4-year-old son of leading sire Tapit raced for Mill House and retires with six wins and two seconds with earnings of $703,884.
Trappe Shot will stand for $10,000 live foal stands and nurses. He will be available for inspection next week.
Bred by Hobeau Farm, Trappe Shot set an auction record in Maryland when he was purchased for $850,000 as a 2-year-old in training by Steve Young, agent.
The colt broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park the following February by an impressive 10 1/4 lengths. He followed that race with consecutive allowance wins, first by 12 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream and later by four lengths at Belmont. He won the Long Branch at Monmouth Park in his first stakes attempt, then was runner-up to champion Lookin At Lucky in the Haskell (gr. I) in his next start.
His most impressive victory came this year in the True North (gr. II), which he won impressively by 8 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:08.86 at Belmont Park June 11. He earned a 111 Beyer speed figure. Trappe Shot followed that with another outstanding race in which he earned a 112 Beyer and finished second by a nose in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga.
Trappe Shot finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) in the final start of his career Nov. 5 at Churchil Downs.
“Trappe Shot is a star of a horse to be around,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “His race in the Vanderbilt earned him the best Ragozin number (-1 1/2) of any horse I’ve ever been associated with. It was just bad luck he didn’t get a grade I win. I believe he has everything it takes to make a very successful stallion.”
By Tapit, a son of leading sire and sire of sires Pulpit, Trappe Shot is out of the Private Account mare Shopping. The dam has produced three other stakes winners, including grade I winner Miss Shop.