Authentic Retired, Nothing Left to Prove

All the options were debated regarding the future of recently lauded Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Authentic  regarding racing at 4 or even just making a run at the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 23 as several other stallion prospects have done before moving on to their stud careers.

In the end, the 3-year-old son of Into Mischief  was retired and arrived at Spendthrift Farm the morning of Nov. 9, walked off the van by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who lauded the colt for his exceptional soundness and extraordinary speed.

"He never had a bad day. He never got sick, never colicked, never had an issue," Baffert said. "He really enjoyed his work and wanted to run fast every day. In that way, he was easy to train because he didn't need to work in company or he'd do too much. I wish they could be that easy. Now I have to go find another one."

Even with Authentic maturing and "really coming into his prime," according to Baffert, the decision to retire the colt was straightforward.

"We turned over every option, believe me," said Spendthrift president Eric Gustavson. "We did contemplate the Pegasus, and it is nice for the purse money, but it would not change anything regarding his stature at this point or his stud fee. It just didn't make sense for us. We would rather he let down and enjoy three solid months running around in our paddocks."

Authentic, co-owned by B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift, Madaket Stables, Starlight Racing, and the micro-share operation MyRaceHorse.com, ended his racing career with a 6-2-0 record out of eight starts and earnings of $6,191,200. He won his only start at 2 and became a stakes winner in the Sham Stakes (G3) in his 2020 debut at Santa Anita Park. On a convoluted trail to a Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserves (G1), Authentic captured the San Felipe Stakes (G2) and the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) and was runner-up in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1). Concerns that a son of Into Mischief could not win at the American classic distance of 1 1/4 miles allowed Authentic to go off at 8-1 in the Kentucky Derby, which he won gate-to-wire by 1 1/4 lengths in 2:00.61. He went on to finish second to Swiss Skydiver in the Preakness Stakes (G1) before capping off his career with a win over one of deepest fields to start in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Again he went gate-to-wire in the Classic, shook off a late challenge by four-time grade 1 winner and 4-year-old Improbable , and won by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:59.19.

"To have a son of Into Mischief is the ultimate for us," said Gustavson. "He had to make it the hard way and has grown into our best stallion, and I don't think there is any argument any more that he is the best stallion in the country. We have been very active in buying his sons because we are such big believers and that is why we went so hard after Authentic. Then to have everything work out like this, you almost can't dream this big. Now we have the best son of our best stallion standing on the farm. It really is unbelievable."

Authentic is the first black-type winner out of the winning Mr. Greeley mare Flawless, who has produced three winners from three to race. The mare is out of the Wild Again daughter Oyster Baby, who is half sister to grade 3-placed winner Real Fancy Runner (Johannesburg) and stakes-placed winners Stately Warrior and Saints Go Marching. The family has also produced stakes winner and multiple stakes producer Holiday Runner, the dam of multiple grade 1 winner Seventh Street and grade 1 winner Reynaldothewizard and also of grade 2 stakes-placed American Story, who is the dam of multiple grade 1 winner American Gal and graded-placed stakes winner Americanize.

Authentic enters stud at $75,000. Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey said the farm starting getting calls from breeders back in March, when the farm bought its interest in the colt. While no contracts were sold prior to his official retirement, Toffey said, he expects Authentic's book to fill in a couple of days.