Champion Runhappy Retired to Claiborne

Runhappy winning the King's Bishop | Adam Coglianese

Gallery Racing's Runhappy (Super Saver–Bella Jolie, by Broken Vow), the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and crowned champion sprinter, has been retired from racing and will enter stud for the 2017 breeding season at Claiborne Farm. His stud fee has been set at $25,000.

Bred by Wayne, Gray and Bryan Lyster, Runhappy was a $200,000 purchase by James McIngvale out of the 2013 Keeneland September sale and turned in one of the more memorable debuts of any horse in 2014, thrashing his rivals by 8 1/4 lengths. After a pair of easy allowance victories last summer, Runhappy was an 11-1 shot in Saratoga's prestigious GI King's Bishop S. and ran his rivals off their feet, stopping the clock in a stakes-record 1:20.54 for the seven furlongs. The 113 Beyer Speed Figure was the best at seven furlongs or less in 2015 and best of any other 3-year-old not named American Pharoah.

The front-running winner of the GIII Phoenix S. in the Keeneland slop in his next start, he was asked to come from off the pace on Breeders' Cup day, but got the job done, defeating the fleet Private Zone (Macho Uno) by 3/4 of a length in 1:08.54, also a track record. He employed gate-to-wire tactics en route to a facile 3 1/2-length success in the GI Malibu S. to cement his championship season. Runhappy retires with seven wins from 10 starts and earnings of $1,496,250.

“The decision to retire Runhappy was both difficult and easy,” said McIngvale. “On one hand, we wish he could run forever. This is by far the most incredible horse we've ever owned and he's brought so much joy to our family and his fans. But on the other hand, we've always pledged to do what's best for the health and happiness of Runhappy. For that reason, we put our strong emotional attachments aside and decided to retire him from racing. Now we're filled with gratitude and enthusiasm watching Runhappy move into the same stall occupied by Secretariat, Unbridled, Easy Goer, and Bold Ruler to begin his stud career at the world-renowned Claiborne Farm.”

Added Claiborne's Bernie Sams: “We are thrilled and honored to welcome Runhappy to Claiborne. He came out of his last race healthy and sound, but everyone felt the timing was right. He is one of the most impressive racehorses I have ever seen and when you start to dig into his pedigree, it's no surprise why he was so successful. We obviously have a great deal of confidence that he'll pass his tremendous speed onto his progeny.”

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