Morluc, who was bred by G. Watts Humphery Jr. and Joe Pierce Jr., was claimed in his sixth start by trainer Randy Morse for Michael Cloonan. An 11-time winner, Morluc will stand for a syndicate, with Cloonan retaining breeding rights.
Millionaire Morluc, who set speed records at Churchill Downs and Kentucky Downs, will enter stud at Doug Arnold's Buck Pond Farm near Versailles, Ky. The 7-year-old son of champion sprinter Housebuster retires with wins or placings in 25 of 40 starts and earnings of $1,045,758.Morluc, who was produced from the stakes-winning Time to Explode mare Flashing Eyes, set a course record of :56.06 for five furlongs at Churchill Downs and later lowered the record to :55.73. At Kentucky Downs, he set a course record of 1:09.66 for six furlongs in winning the Kentucky Cup Turf Dash Stakes.During his career, Morluc won four other stakes, including the Aegon Turf Sprint Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill and consecutive runnings of the Nureyev Stakes at Keeneland. He was sent twice to Hong Kong to run in the Hong Kong Sprint and was beaten a head the first time when the race was a group III event and a nose the following year when it was a group II race. He also started in England and Dubai, but finished unplaced in each locale.