McCraken to Enter Stud at Airdrie in 2019

McCraken , a multiple graded stakes-winning son of Ghostzapper , has been retired from racing and will stand at Airdrie Stud near Midway, Ky., in 2019, the farm announced Sept. 11. 

The Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred was undefeated in three starts at 2, when he followed his winning debut with victories in the Street Sense Stakes and Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2). He became a sophomore to watch with a track-record-setting performance in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, in which he beat future Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Tapwrit by 1 1/2 lengths.

An ankle twist kept McCraken from a start in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2), and he returned with a third-place finish as the 8-5 favorite in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland before finishing a troubled eighth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

He returned to the winner's circle in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) and went on to finish second by an agonizing nose to Girvin  in the betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1). He was followed home by leading 3-year-olds Practical Joke , Battle of Midway, and Irish War Cry. 

"Everyone gets excited when a horse is talented enough to do what they really shouldn't be able to do," said Airdrie's Bret Jones. "By anyone's definition, Ghostzapper is one of the best stallions in America, but McCraken remains the only graded stakes-winning 2-year-old son he's ever produced. Not only that, but he was a truly dominant, undefeated juvenile that could then train on to be a track-record setter and multiple graded stakes winner at 3.

"His record of six wins in seven starts at a mile and a sixteenth or less also demonstrates that he's got the miler speed and turn of foot that has been the signature of so many leading sires. We really believe he offers our breeders tremendous upside at a very reasonable stud fee for a beautifully bred, exceptionally talented horse that was a nose bob away from winning the grade 1 Haskell."

McCraken followed the Haskell with placed finishes in the Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2) and the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3). He was retired following an unplaced finish in a sloppy Whitney Stakes (G1). He ended his racing career with six wins and four placings out of 14 starts and earned $869,728.

McCraken will stand for $10,000 in 2019.

Bred from a deep family nurtured by Janis Whitham, McCraken is the second foal out of the Seeking the Gold mare Ivory Empress, a young graded stakes-placed sprinter whose first foal, Bondurant (by War Front ), is also graded stakes-placed. Ivory Empress is out of the graded stakes-winning and grade 1-placed Madame Pandit, who is also the dam of grade 1 winner Mea Domina.

"McCraken was one of the most naturally talented horses I've ever been around, and his turn of foot was second to none," said trainer Ian Wilkes. "He took the Whitham family and our stable on a great ride, and I look forward to training grade 1 winners by him in the future."