Tiznow's Brother, Millionaire Budroyale, Retired

The fairy tale of Budroyale has come to a quiet end. Dubbed the "Rocky Balboa of racing" by his doting owner, Jeffrey Sengara, the popular 9-year-old gelding has been retired.

Budroyale was just an average horse who raced in and out of obscurity in Southern California until early 1998, when Sengara pulled him from the claiming ranks for $50,000.

By Cee's Tizzy--Cee's Song, Budroyale eventually developed into one of California's leading handicap competitors. His grit was accentuated on many occasions, including his second-place finish behind Cat Thief in the 1999 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park.
Budroyale's saga took an even more astonishing spin when Tiznow, his full sibling, emerged as a force himself the following year. He captured the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic en route to seasonal honors as Horse of the Year. Tiznow repeated as Classic winner in 2001.

A fractured shoulder and various leg ailments have limited Budroyale's progress since 2000. When a slight lump in his left front leg surfaced recently, Sengara and trainer Ted West knew it was time to stop.

"He had a little filling in his leg about a week ago," West said March 31. "We scanned it, and it ended up being nothing, but we had decided bringing him back this time, if he even had one little speed bump, we'd just retire him. We weren't really putting a lot of stress on him making it back. We were just going to give him one more chance."

Bred in California by the late Cecilia Straub-Rubens, Budroyale bows out with 17 wins, including five in graded stakes, and earnings of $2,840,810. He was sent to Canmor Farms in Aldergrove, British Columbia.