Calumet's Classic-Placed Bravazo Retired

Grade 2 winner and multiple grade 1-placed Calumet Farm homebred Bravazo has been retired from racing, the farm confirmed May 5.

The 5-year-old son of Awesome Again is expected to arrive back at Calumet May 11. Any future stud plans are still being developed.

Conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Bravazo showed his talents on the racetrack early, breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs in his second lifetime start and going right into top-level competition in his third start in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, where he finished second. At 3, he maintained his momentum and won his 2018 debut in an allowance race at Oaklawn Park before taking the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. He went on to start in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), where he finished a respectable sixth. In a foggy, sloppy running of the 2018 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course, Bravazo made a valiant attempt to thwart fate, making a late dash at eventual Triple Crown winner Justify  only to fall short by half a length.

REPLAY: Justify Wins the 2018 Preakness Stakes

Bravazo placed in four other top-level stakes in 2018, finishing second in the betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) and in the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1), and coming in third in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and Runhappy Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). Bravazo was lightly raced in 2019, making only two starts, with his best finish a fourth in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). He made four starts this year but couldn't regain his previous form. His best performance in 2020 was a fourth in the Essex Handicap at Oaklawn before he finished unplaced in the May 2 Oaklawn Handicap (G2). He was retired with a 3-4-3 record out of 22 starts and earned $2,033,195.

Calumet became the breeder of Bravazo after buying his dam, Tiz o' Gold, from Adena Springs in foal to Awesome Again for $35,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Bravazo is his dam's first foal. Tiz o' Gold (Cee's Tizzy) is the sole runner and winner from her dam, Pep o' Gold, whose own dam Ginged Up produced seven winners from as many foals to race, including stakes-placed winner Pewterville.

Tiz o' Gold has produced five foals so far. She has an unraced Calumet homebred 2-year-old by Raison d'Etat  named Country Captain and has a yearling by 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner .