Millionaire Showing Up Retired

Lael Stables’ dual grade I winner Showing Up has been retired from racing. The 5-year-old millionaire son of Strategic Mission spent most of his early 3-year-old campaign lost in the shadow of star stablemate Barbaro, but developed into one of the nation’s top turf runners. He retires with seven victories from 10 starts for earnings of $1,660,500.

“He’s perfectly sound,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “He had a couple of little problems with his hind suspensory, but he’s 100% now. I have to admit I became very attached to him. Whatever you asked of him he did, and did it exceptionally well, on both grass and dirt. He was a very, very fast horse, but he could lay off the pace and give you that big run at the end. When he made his move, he was like (NFL star) Adrian Peterson going through a hole. I truly think he’s one of the best horses I’ve ever trained.”

Bred in Kentucky by Nellie M. Cox and Rose Retreat Farm, Showing Up went through the sale ring three times in two years, and was purchased by Lael Stables’ co-owner Roy Jackson at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale at Timonium for $60,000. Solitary Oak consigned as agent for Mer-Lyn.

Unraced at 2, Showing Up won his first three starts at 3, including the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland. Despite having only three career starts, he ran two weeks later in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), along with Barbaro, and finished a respectable sixth, beaten only 3 1/2 lengths for second.

Tagg then put him on the grass, and Showing Up became an overnight star, coming from 17 lengths back to beat Kip Deville by 3 1/4 lengths in the Colonial Turf Cup, setting a course record of 1:52.98 for 1 3/16 miles. That was followed by a wire-to-wire victory in the 10-furlong Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) in 2:00.09. In his first try against older horses in the Man o’ War Stakes (gr. IT), he finish a close third behind Cacique and Go Deputy.

Showing Up roared back with a vengeance, easily winning the Jamaica Breeders’ Cup Handicap (gr. IIT) before heading out to California, where he turned in a powerful stretch run to win the Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) in a blistering 1:59.35.

Out for nearly five months, he returned in the Maker’s Mark Mile (gr. IIT) at Keeneland. Battling head and head nearly every step of the way, he dropped a neck decision to Kip Deville, who would go on to win the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT). That was to be his start.

Showing Up is out of the multiple stakes-producing T.V. Commercial mare Miss Alethia. Stud plans have not been made by  Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who have him on the market, with the intention of keeping part of him.