Multiple G2 winner Dominus retires to Spendthrift

Dominus, the multiple Grade 2-winning son of Smart Strike, has been retired from racing and will stand stud at B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm for the upcoming 2013 breeding season for a fee of $6,500 stands and nurses. Dominus will be offered in Spendthrift’s “Share The Upside” program for breeders.

“Our Share The Upside program has been popular since we started it back in 2009 with Into Mischief, and we’ve since offered every stallion that has come to stud at Spendthrift in this program,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift Farm general manager. “Into Mischief’s stud career has gotten off to a tremendous start, and that has helped create demand for a new exciting, young stallion for 2013. Dominus is a highly talented son of Smart Strike from a top Ned Evans female family that is deep in quality, and we believe he’ll be well-received by breeders.”

Dominus impressively broke his maiden on dirt at Santa Anita in his 3-year-old debut and was runner-up in the Derby Trial S. (G3) at Churchill in just his third start. In his next start, he scored a decisive victory in the Dwyer S. (G2) at Belmont. At 4, he won his seasonal debut by 4 ¼ lengths on dirt at Saratoga, before capturing the Bernard Baruch H. (G2) at Saratoga over Grade 1 winner Data Link in his first start on turf.

Campaigned by owners George Bolton, Stonestreet Stables & Spendthrift Farm, Dominus retires with a record of 4-2-1 from 10 starts and earnings of $444,717. Bred by Edward P. Evans, Dominus hails from the multiple stakes-winning Lord At War (Arg) mare Cuando.

Dominus will be offered through the “Share The Upside” program for a fee of $10,000 live foal, and breeders who breed one mare in both 2013 and 2014 will earn a lifetime breeding right in the stallion after the second stud fee is paid in 2015.