Gary and Mary West's graded stakes winner American Freedom has been retired from racing and will stand at Airdrie Stud for 2018 for an advertised fee of $10,000.
A $500,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2014 from the last crop of Pulpit, the Bob Baffert trainee won three of his first four starts including the 2016 Iowa Derby (G3). American Freedom went on to finish second in both the betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1) last year before being sidelined until May.
The 4-year-old bay colt finished off the board in two starts this year and has not raced since placing fifth in the May 27 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1). He retires with three wins from eight starts and earnings of $705,100.
"American Freedom is as good looking as any stallion we've put in our stallion barn. He's absolutely, drop dead beautiful" said Airdrie's Brereton Jones. "On top of that, he showed he belonged in any conversation of last season's best 3-year-olds by defeating the winners of the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont, and beating the great Gun Runner both times they met.
"Both Airdrie and the West family have committed to breed no less than 20 mares apiece to him in each of his first three years at stud because this horse deserves every opportunity to be special. We're betting big on American Freedom and we really believe we're on a winner."
Bred in Kentucky by Centaur Farms, American Freedom is out of the multiple stakes winning Pleasant Tap mare Gottcha Last and is a half brother to multiple graded stakes winner Gottcha Gold.
