Grade 1 Winner Mor Spirit Retired to Spendthrift

Multiple grade 1 winner and millionaire Mor Spirit has been retired and will stand stud in 2019 at B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, the farm announced Sept. 16.

Mor Spirit is the newest stallion to be offered through Spendthrift's Share The Upside program. His Share The Upside fee will be $10,000 stands and nurses on a one-year commitment, and breeders will earn a lifetime breeding right in Mor Spirit after producing just one live foal in 2020. He will also be offered for $10,000 on a standard stands-and-nurses contract.

"The term 'brilliant' is tossed around quite a bit, but Mor Spirit was truly a brilliant racehorse," Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager, said of the 2017 Mohegan Sun Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and 2015 Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) winner. "He accomplished some extremely desirable things that very few stallion prospects accomplish. The Met Mile is one of the most storied stallion-making races in our sport, and Mor Spirit is the only horse in the last 25 years to win a grade 1 at 2 and go on to win the Met Mile. That's pretty remarkable, and it speaks to his quality.

"The Met Mile performance was special. There were few moments better than that on the biggest of stages last year. Add in the fact he was a $650,000 2-year-old that Bob Baffert picked out, and it tells you a lot about his physical makeup. We're very excited to have him."

Mor Spirit broke his maiden as a 2-year-old by 4 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita Park and went on to capture the Los Alamitos Futurity to close out his juvenile campaign. Mor Spirit opened up his 3-year-old season with a win in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita. He was also runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and San Felipe Stakes (G2) at 3.

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As a 4-year-old Mor Spirit went on a three-race win streak and established himself as one of racing's best milers. He shipped to Oaklawn Park first to win the Essex Handicap by 2 1/2 lengths, then went back on the road to capture the Steve Sexton Mile (G3) by 5 3/4 lengths at Lone Star Park.

In what was widely regarded as one of the best performances of 2017, Mor Spirit dazzled in the Met Mile, when he drew away from grade 1 winner Sharp Azteca to win by 6 1/4 lengths.

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With the victory, Mor Spirit became the first grade 1-winning juvenile to go on and capture the Met Mile since Holy Bull in 1994.

A $650,000 2-year-old purchase, Mor Spirit earned $1,668,400 for owner Michael Lund Petersen and finished first or second in 11 of his 14 starts. The son of Eskendereya hails from the multiple stakes-winning Dixie Union mare Im a Dixie Girl.