Grade I Winner Consolidator to Darley at Jonabell

Consolidator, a graded stakes winner at two and this year at three, has been bought by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley for stallion duty at Darley at Jonabell near Lexington. A $1,250,000 Keeneland September yearling consigned by Michael C. Byrne, agent, Consolidator was retired from racing because of an injury discovered after finishing unplaced in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland in April.

Consolidator was one of 10 males weighted at 120 pounds or more on last year's Experimental Free Handicap for males, and his impost was only six pounds below co-highweights Declan's Moon (the champion) and Wilko. Trained by Dr. Wayne Lukas for Robert and Beverly Lewis, Consolidator scored his major win in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) at Keeneland and placed in the Sanford (gr. II) and Kentucky Breeders' Cup (gr. III) Stakes. In his last start of the year, he was beaten 2 1/4 lengths in a fourth-place finish in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I).

Consolidator's 3-year-old season was marked by a 6 1/2-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita over Giacomo, with Wilko finishing farther behind. Bred by Pacelco S.A., Consolidator was retired with three wins from 10 starts and earnings of $661,760.

Consolidator is bred similarly to leading second-crop stallion Giant's Causeway in that both are by Storm Cat and each is out of a stakes-winning Blushing Groom granddaughter. Consolidator's dam, Good Example (by Crystal Glitters), was a French group winner.

Jimmy Bell, president of Darley U.S.A., said, "Consolidator embodies the qualities breeders look for in a stallion. He was a precocious, grade I-winning 2-year-old who further confirmed his qualities around two turns at three. To have these attributes in a son of Storm Cat gives breeders a world of opportunity."

Consolidator's fee will be announced later.