Corniche , the 2021 Eclipse champion 2-year-old and multiple grade 1 winner, has been retired and will be sent to Ashford Stud in Central Kentucky, where he will enter stud in 2023, the farm announced Aug. 28.
The son of Quality Road out of grade 1-placed, grade 2 winner Wasted Tearssuffered his only loss July 31 in the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course, where he suffered a career-ending injury to a hind joint. He retires with $1,263,500 in earnings.
Corniche topped the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale when bloodstock agent Marette Farrell bought him for $1.5 million on behalf of owners Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner of Speedway Stables.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Corniche was undefeated in three starts at 2. He won his debut at Del Mar by 4 1/4 lengths, going 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.01. He immediately stepped up to grade 1 company for the two-turn American Pharoah Stakes (G1), where he posted another front-end success. Drawn widest of all in post 11 in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), Corniche sped through fractions of :23.03 and :46.15 before winning gamely by 1 3/4 lengths.
"It's unfortunate that Corniche has been forced to retire at this point in his career, but he will be revered for his remarkable juvenile season," said Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan. "He's a most impressive-looking individual and I can see him proving extremely popular amongst breeders."
Bred in Kentucky by Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings, Corniche is the best juvenile by this year's current leader Quality Road, who has sired 59 black-type winners, which include 31 graded/group winners and four champions. Besides Corniche, Quality Road is the sire of 2017 champion 3-year-old filly Abel Tasman, 2017 champion 2-year-old filly Caledonia Road, and Greece's 2018 Horse of the Year, Run to the Hills.
Wasted Tears, by Najran, is a six-time graded stakes winner, whose top performances include the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) and the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G2T). She also set a one-mile track record of 1:32.81 at Lone Star Park in the 2009 Ouija Board Distaff Handicap (G3T), a race she would win two more times in 2010-11. Wasted Tears is out of the stakes winner Wishes and Roses (Greinton), making her a half sister to multiple stakes winner Wishingitwas (Sandpit) and stakes winner Almost Certain (Favorite Trick).
