Preservationist Retired to Stud at Airdrie

Centennial Farms's grade 1 winner Preservationist  has been retired from racing and will take up stud duty at Brereton C. and Libby Jones's Airdrie Stud for the 2020 breeding season.

Bred in Kentucky by Emory Hamilton, Preservationist was a $485,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase by Centennial before he went on to earn the designation as one of 2019's top-rated older horses following wins in the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park. Trained throughout his career by Jimmy Jerkens, Preservationist retires with a record of six wins from 11 starts and earnings of $1,084,550.

A son of Claiborne Farm's late, influential sire Arch out of the Dixieland Band mare Flying Dixie, Preservationist's pedigree represents the combination of two of the most influential female families affiliated with the historic King Ranch breeding program. Arch is a direct descendant of the great foundation mare Courtly Dee, while Flying Dixie traces back directly to blue hen broodmares Too Chic and Monade. Both female families have long churned out runners of the highest class for Hamilton, her sister Helen Alexander, and their mother Helen Groves.

"Preservationist was bred top and bottom to be a special horse, and that is exactly what he was," said Airdrie Stud's Bret Jones. "While it's well documented that his greatest achievements came as an older horse, everyone we have spoken to about this horse has told us that he has been revered as a special talent from his absolute earliest days as a 2-year-old. His wins in the Woodward and Suburban are at the top of his résumé, but we are just as enamored that he had the speed and versatility to earn a 3 Ragozin figure when breaking his maiden going six furlongs in 1:09.35. He had exceptional ability, and when combined with his blue-blooded pedigree and the over-the-top good looks that made him Arch's most expensive yearling of his sale year, we really believe we have an exceptional stallion prospect.

"The team at Centennial Farms is absolutely top-class, and we are very grateful to them for giving us the opportunity to stand their special horse."

"Preservationist was one of the most gifted and generous horses I've ever trained," added Jerkens. "I've said multiple times that the two best training horses I've ever had were Preservationist and Quality Road . I'm convinced he would've stamped himself as a top miler had he not so excelled at the longer distances."

Preservationist will stand his initial season at Airdrie for a $10,000 stud fee.