Claiborne Farm has secured the breeding rights to Prince of Monaco , one of the top dirt sprinters of his class and the only son of top sire Speightstown to win a grade 1 at age 2. He will enter stud at the Paris, Ky., farm upon his retirement from racing.
The 3-year-old is targeting the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar for his next start.
After selling as a yearling for $950,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 2022 The Saratoga Sale, Prince of Monaco was placed in the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, where he won his first three starts.
Prince of Monaco captured his debut sprinting five furlongs on the dirt at Los Alamitos Race Course, which he won by a widening eight lengths as the 1-20 favorite. He then made an effortless jump into graded stakes competition with a dominant 4 1/4-length score in the Best Pal Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, completing the six-furlong race in a stakes-record time of 1:09.19. Subsequent multiple grade 1 winner Muth and grade 2 winner Raging Torrent finished second and third, respectively.
Prince of Monaco's 2-year-old campaign was highlighted by yet another graded victory in the Del Mar Futurity (G1).
After standing out on the West Coast at 2, Prince of Monaco has shown elite form on the East Coast as a 3-year-old, finishing second by a half-length in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course following a seven-month layoff. He was runner-up again a month later, by a neck behind Domestic Product, in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), in which he earned a 107 Equibase Speed Figure.
"Running a 103 Beyer (in the Best Pal) as a 2-year-old is a significant achievement and a great barometer of talent and ability," said Walker Hancock. "Additionally, he was only beaten a combined three-quarters of a length in two premier grade 1 races at Saratoga this summer, while dealing with troubled trips. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Stonestreet's breeding program and we are excited to add another one of their homebreds in Prince of Monaco to our stallion roster."
Prince of Monaco races for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, and Tom Ryan.
"SF Bloodstock has been Speightstown's biggest fan and supporters for going on two decades now," said Tom Ryan. "On the heels of having Charlatan, we are very excited to be associated with Speightstown's fastest 2-year-old ever in Prince of Monaco. You would be hard-pressed to find a better-looking animal and we are staunch in our beliefs that he will fall into the successful footsteps of his father."
Bred in Kentucky by Barbara Banke's vaunted Stonestreet program, Prince of Monaco is out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Rainier, who is a half sister to stakes winners Laurie's Rocket and Greeley's Rocket.
"I am excited for what lies ahead," added Banke. "Prince of Monaco has been a standout since birth, with his natural talent and athleticism evident from the start. His speed, heart, and sheer brilliance on the track will make him an extraordinary stallion. He's the complete package, and I can't wait to see him pass on that exceptional talent to future generations."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
