Rockport Harbor had suffered an injury to the back of his right hind foot during the Remsen and the injury plagued him up to his retirement. He raced just four times in 2005-06, winning this year's Essex Handicap (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park and running second in last year's Rebel Stakes (gr. III) there."Rockport Harbor was a dazzling racehorse, whose talents ignited nationwide interest and passion," said Dan Pride of Darley. "He's got a lot of his sire in him, and we're very proud to be standing him on the Darley roster."Bred by Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and Taylor Made Farm, Rockport Harbor was a $470,000 Keeneland September yearling and raced for Richard Porter's Fox Hill Farms. He is out of the stakes-winning Copelan mare Regal Miss Copelan and his second dam, Regal Pennant, also is a stakes winner. A fee will be announced later.
Rockport Harbor, a multiple graded stakes winner, has been purchased by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation and will enter stud at Darley at Jonabell near Lexington. He was retired in March with a record of five wins from eight starts and earnings of $324,800.A son of Unbridled's Song, Rockport Harbor was one of the top 2-year-olds in 2004, winning all four of his races by a combined margin of 22 3/4 lengths. His time in the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct, 1:48.88 for the 1 1/8 miles, was the second fastest in history, surpassed only by the time registered by Believe It over Alydar in 1977. Rockport Harbor also won that year's Nashua Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct.
