Multiple Group 1 Winner Lady Aurelia Retired

Multiple group 1 winner Lady Aurelia, the first American-trained horse to win a Cartier Award, has been retired, Stonestreet Stables bloodstock advisor John Moynihan confirmed July 18. The news was first reported by TVG.

Owned by Stonestreet and Peter Leidel, Lady Aurelia stamped herself on a global stage when she captured the 2016 Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot and went on to best males in that year's Darley Prix Morny (G1), en route to earning the Cartier Award for champion 2-year-old filly. The daughter of Scat Daddy repeated her Royal Ascot success the following season with a win in the 2017 King's Stand Stakes (G1) but finished seventh in this year's edition of that test for trainer Wesley Ward.

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"She's sound and doing well. Peter and (Stonestreet owner) Barbara (Banke) just decided it was time," said Moynihan, who added mating plans have not yet been determined. "She's been great to everybody. She retires as one of the great ones, that's for sure."

Like so many of Ward's protégés, Lady Aurelia first touted her talent in a 2-year-old sprint race during Keeneland's spring meeting.

In her debut, the bay filly captured a 4 1/2-furlong maiden test by 7 1/2 lengths in April of 2016. She again used the Keeneland track to kick-start her season the following spring, when she defeated older fillies and mares in the 2017 Giant's Causeway Stakes before heading to Ascot for her second reign on that soil.

"I was probably a bit selfish and lobbied to keep her going," Ward said ."She's so sound—kicking in her stall, feeling so good. I still felt there was more running in her. I wanted to keep her running, and I thought a race at Keeneland—if she could have rebounded, she would have been set up for Breeders' Cup. But I wholeheartedly stand by the owners' decision (to retire her)."

Lady Aurelia ended her 3-year-old season with a 10th-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar in November. She finished second in this year's Giant's Causeway Stakes prior to her final effort in the King's Stand.

Bred by Stonestreet out of the Forest Wildcat mare D'Wildcat Speed, Lady Aurelia retired with five wins from 10 starts and $834,945 in earnings. She is a graduate of the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where George Bolton and Leidel purchased her for $350,000 from James M. Herbener Jr.'s consignment, after which Stonestreet retained an interest.

"She's been a tremendous filly and fantastic to me and the owners," Ward said. "Now I look forward to her next career. Hopefully, she can have a foal who is as good as she was. That's what we all hope for."