Fighting Mad Retired, Mating Planned With Curlin

Fighting Mad, one of the West Coast's top older distaffers of 2020, has been retired from racing following a fifth-place finish in the La Canada Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park Jan. 9. She will be bred this year to Curlin, according to co-owner Gary West. Last year at age 4 the homebred daughter of New Year's Day won two graded races in four starts for Gary and Mary West. The Bob Baffert trainee won the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) in May at Santa Anita and added the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar in August. She was also third in the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) in September. Over her career, Fighting Mad won five of 10 starts and $472,008. She also was a winner at ages 2 and 3, capturing the Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) at Del Mar in the summer of 2019. Her retirement was first reported by Daily Racing Form. Baffert and the Wests also raced New Year's Day, winner of the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and sire of Maximum Security, the champion 3-year-old male of 2019. Fighting Mad is one of five winners from the Forestry mare Smokey's Love, who also produced Love Tap (AUS), a group 3 winner in Australia. According to West, Fighting Mad will be boarded at Dell Ridge Farm near Lexington.