My Pal Charlie has been retired from racing and will return to
Louisiana to stand stud in the state where he set a stakes record while
winning the prestigious Super Derby (G2) a year ago. In winning Super
Derby XXIX, My Pal Charlie joined an impressive list of past winners,
such as leading sires Tiznow, Arch, Seeking the Gold and Sunday
Silence. My Pal Charlie will stand 2010 at Elite Thoroughbreds in
Folsom, La. for a fee of $3,000.
A son of hot sire Indian
Charlie, My Pal Charlie hails from the Halo mare Shahalo, making him a
full brother to the Florida-based sire Bwana Charlie, a Grade 2 winner
of $388,850, and a half brother to Grade 3 winner Bwana Bull. Purchased
by B. Wayne Hughes for $300,000 at the 2006 Keeneland September
yearling sale, My Pal Charlie raced in the Spendthrift colors under the
care of trainer Al Stall Jr.
At three, he broke his maiden and
won an allowance race in back-to-back starts at Fair Grounds before
finishing second to Grade 1 winner Pyro in the Louisiana Derby (G2)
after setting the pace. My Pal Charlie returned to Louisiana later in
the season and turned in a breakthrough performance, impressively
winning the $515,000 Super Derby (G2) in stakes-record time of 1:48.36
for 1 1/8 miles. He defeated runner-up Macho Again, a Grade 1 winner,
by 4 ¼ lengths.
In his final start at three, My Pal Charlie
faced older horses for the first time and ran a close fourth in the $1
million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita, finishing just 1 ¾
lengths behind Grade 1 winner Albertus Maximus.
This year as a
4-year-old, My Pal Charlie competed in eight straight graded stakes
races at six different racetracks from distances of six furlongs to 1
1/8 miles. He finished third in the Commonwealth S. (G2) at seven
furlongs on the Polytrack at Keeneland before finishing second in the
Churchill Downs H. (G2) on Kentucky Derby day at seven furlongs over a
sloppy Churchill main track. My Pal Charlie then ran a close fourth in
the Met Mile (G1) at Belmont, finishing 1 ½ lengths back while
recording a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.
He recently finished fourth beaten just 1 ½ lengths in the Forego H. (G1) behind Pyro and multiple Grade 1 winner Kodiak Kowboy.
“My
Pal Charlie had great success in Louisiana during his racing career,
and we feel like he’ll be popular with the Louisiana breeders,” said
Ken Wilkins, stallion director at Spendthrift Farm. “This horse checks
all the boxes: he has a fashionable pedigree, is a lovely individual
that was sound throughout his career, and most of all he possessed
quality speed and performed at a high level on the racetrack.”
Elite
Thoroughbreds’ Michelle Rodriguez said: “We’re delighted that My Pal
Charlie is coming home to Louisiana. He was a tremendous racehorse and
we’re thrilled to stand him at Elite. All breeders are invited to come
out and inspect him.”