Grade I Winner Denon to Italy

Multiple grade I winner Denon has been purchased by Paolo Crespi for stallion duty at his Societa Allevamento di Besnate near Varese, Italy, according to the Racing Post. Crespi bought the 6-year-old son of Pleasant Colony privately from Fusao Sekiguchi.

Bred by the Niarchos family's Flaxman Holdings, Denon won four grade I turf stakes for Flaxman and Edmund Gann, taking the Hollywood Derby, Turf Classic Invitational Stakes, Charles Whittingham Handicap, and Manhattan Handicap between 2001-03. Sekiguchi bought him from Flaxman and Gann prior to last year's Japan Cup (Jpn-I), in which he ran unplaced.

Denon, who initially raced for the Niarchos family in France and was a group winner there, retired with six wins from 22 starts and earnings of $1,744,025.

Produced from Irish group I winner Aviance (by Northfields), Denon is a half-brother to group I winner Chimes of Freedom, dam of champion sprinter Aldebaran, and to English stakes winner Imperfect Circle, dam of French and Irish champion Spinning World.