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Leinster Retired to Stud at Pleasant Acres

The son of Majestic Warrior won four graded stakes and set two track records.

Leinster wins the 2020 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland

Leinster wins the 2020 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland

Keeneland/Coady Photography

Grade 1-placed, multiple grade 2 winner Leinster  has been retired and been sent to Pleasant Acres Stallions near Ocala, Fla., where he will enter stud next year. The 6-year-old son of Majestic Warrior will stand for a $5,000 fee.

"Leinster is an exceptional addition to the stallion barn at Pleasant Acres Stallions," said Joe Barbazon with Pleasant Acres. "A world-class turf sprinter, he brings with him two blazing fast track records in graded events and four triple digit Beyers."

Bred by Gryphon Investments in Kentucky, Leinster is out of the Royal Academy winner Vassar, making him a half brother to Eclipse champion turf male Stormy Liberal, grade 3-placed stakes winner Shimmering Moment, and grade 1-placed winner Coast Guard. Four Star Sales sold him for $85,000 as a yearling to Taconic Bloodstock at Fasig-Tipton's 2016 The July Sale. The colt would be offered at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale by Wavertree Stables and would be bought back at $75,000.

Wavertree put the colt in training with Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who got six placed finishes out of 11 starts on the dirt with Leinster. The colt was transferred to trainer George "Rusty" Arnold at 4 and by switching him to grass, he became a graded stakes winner in the Troy Stakes (G3T), in which he set a 5 1/2-furlong Saratoga Race Course record of 1:00.23. Wavertree's Amy Dunne took on more partners in Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables, and Jean Wilkinson and together they celebrated victories in the Shakertown Stakes (G2T) and Woodford Stakes Presented by TVG (G2T) plus a third in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T). In the Shakertown, Leinster set a Keeneland track record for 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf of 1:00.86.

Leinster made only one start this year but made it a winning one in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T). He retired with a 6-6-5 record from 24 starts and earnings of $764,971.

"Track record holder at Saratoga and Keeneland. You don't get any faster than that and a beautiful individual to go with it," said Arnold.

Majestic Warrior, a son of A.P. Indy, has his own Florida connection, having been bred and raced by the New York Yankees owner and Thoroughbred owner/breeder George Steinbrenner III. Raced under the name of Steinbrenner's Kinsman Stud, Majestic Warrior won the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at 2. As a stallion, Majestic Warrior has sired 31 black-type winners, which include 14 graded/group winners and two champions.

Leinster joins stallions Amira's Prince, Bellavia, Breaking Lucky, Bucchero , Curlin's Honor , Gunnevera , Handsome Mike, Long On Value, Neolithic , No Never No More, Ride On Curlin, and Sweetontheladies , at the 220-acre farm located just northwest of Ocala.