Divine Park, this year’s Met Mile winner, has been retired from racing and will take up stud duty at Brereton C. Jones’ Airdrie Stud in 2009. His fee is $17,500.
Racing in the colors of James J. Barry, Divine Park won his first three career starts at 3, culminating with a win in the Withers Stakes (gr. III) at a mile in 1:34.65. At 4 this year, he captured the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) at a mile by two lengths over multiple grade I winner Commentator at Belmont Park in May. In his previous start, he took the mile Westchester Handicap (gr. III) by five lengths in 1:32.74, which was about a half-second slower than the Belmont track record.
Also last year, Divine Park established a track record over Keeneland’s Polytrack when covering seven furlongs in 1:21.17.
A son of deceased prominent sire Chester House, Divine Park finished his career with six wins from nine starts and earnings of $612,935 while trained by Kiaran McLaughlin.
“Divine Park absolutely checks every box for a major stallion prospect,” Jones said. "He’s a grade I winner of one of the great stallion-making races, the Met Mile. He’s by a stallion who left us too early, but who established himself as an elite sire both nationally and overseas. Plus, he will be one of the best looking stallions in our barn; he’s gorgeous.”
Bred in Kentucky by Catesby W. Clay and his Runnymede Farm, Divine Park is out of the winning Ascot Knight mare High in the Park and is from the female family of grade I winners Imperial Gesture and Sardula.