Brocco Is Sold, Will Stand at Stud in Kentucky

Brocco, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Santa Anita Derby winner, has been sold by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Broccoli and will be retired to stud at Will Farish’s Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Ky. He is scheduled to depart within the next two weeks.

Last in the Del Mar Budweiser Breeders’ Cup in his final start, the first since he finished a troubled fourth in the Kentucky Derby, Brocco was sold for an undisclosed price, reported to be $2.5 million.

A 3-year-old son of Kris S., Brocco finished his career with four victories in eight starts and earnings of $1,003,550.

“(Farish) is having a vet come by to run fertility tests and see that all that passes,” said trainer Randy Winick, who was promised a lifetime share in the horse by the Broccolis.

“He’s going to Lane’s End, which I’m happy about. There were some people from California who were interested in buying him at one time, but I’d rather he go to Kentucky. That’s where A.P. Indy stands.

“That’s what the Broccolis wanted to do. Financially, they got a good offer for the horse and they didn’t want to take a chance after his race at Del Mar (Sept. 11). If he had come back and wasn’t in the same form, then maybe he wouldn’t be worth as much.

“Mr. Broccoli has been a little sick the last few months. He’s had some surgery and it just kind of came to where they got a good offer and they wanted to take it while he was worth it. They discussed it with me, and I had them talked out of it for a while because I wanted to bring him back in training in about two weeks.”

Reportedly, there were also some personal tax considerations for Broccoli behind the sale. The only buyers who were considered were those who planned to retire Brocco immediately. Broccoli didn’t wish to see anybody else race the colt.

Horse Racing Notes

Navarone, who won the Del Mar Handicap in his final start, has been retired. The Irish River horse finished with eight victories and earnings of more than $710,000. He was owned and bred by Robert Hibbert and trained by Rodney Rash. . . . Cardmania, who broke a cannon bone last February preparing for the San Antonio Handicap, might make his comeback in the Ancient Title Handicap on Oct. 15. The 8-year-old gelding won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last year. . . . Three Breeders’ Cup and Eclipse Award winners--Eliza, Phone Chatter and Hollywood Wildcat--will get together in the $100,000 Lady’s Secret Handicap on Monday. The 1 1/16-mile race, which was won by Hollywood Wildcat last year, will also include Exchange.