Grade II winner Spellbinder, whose half-brother Whywhywhy sired a 2007 Breeders' Cup winner from his first crop, has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Audrey Haisfield's Stonewall Farm near Versailles, Ky. The 6-year-old son of Tale of the Cat will stand for $5,000.
A $375,000 Keeneland September yearling, Spellbinder scored his big win in the San Antonio Handicap (gr. II), with Wilko third, and he also captured the Berkeley Handicap (gr. III). He placed in five stakes, including the Mervyn LeRoy (gr. II), San Pasqual (gr. II), and Native Diver (gr. III) Handicaps. He retired with wins or placings in 15 of 29 races and earnings of $499,057.
Whywhywhy, who won the 2002 Futurity Stakes (gr. I), sired this year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Nownownow. He ranks fifth on the first-crop sires list by progeny earnings.
Spellbinder, whose yearling half-brother by Giant's Causeway sold for $1.05 million at last year's Keeneland November breeding stock sale, is out of the winning Quiet Americanmare Thorough Fair.
