Virginia racing and breeding operation Covilar has purchased a 50% interest in six-time stakes winner and grade 3 winner Five Star General, an 8-year-old son of Distorted Humor.
Five Star General will enter stud next year at Covilar's Owl Hollow Farm near Floyd, Va. The stallion is co-owned by Kenny Alhadeff, who acquired him for $110,000 in April 2022 during one of Fasig-Tipton's digital sales for the dispersal of stock owned by prominent British Columbia owner/breeder Glen Todd.
"Five Star General is the ideal stallion to begin expanding Covilar and Owl Hollow Farm," said Dr. Josep Bassaganya-Riera, Covilar's founder. "Thanks to our partnership with Kenny Alhadeff, we're thrilled to offer breeders a top-class stallion right here in Virginia. Our unique breeding program has already produced two crops of foals from Snapy Halo. Our breeding programs are designed to maximize performance, speed, and stamina of the offspring. We believe that the addition of 'Ike' is a natural choice and excellent complement to our emerging Thoroughbred breeding program."
Five Star General has acquired the nickname "Ike," after United States President and five-star general Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Since acquiring Five Star General, Alhadeff has enjoyed watching him win consecutive editions of the Longacres Mile Stakes in 2023-24 and capture the listed Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and the Evangeline Mile Stakes. He won or placed in 19 black-type stakes at nine racetracks. His seven stakes wins included the 2019 British Columbia Derby (G3).
Five Star General retires with a 13-6-9 record from 39 starts and earnings of $902,202.
"Winning back-to-back Longacres Miles with Five Star General is a highlight of my entire career as an owner," said Alhadeff. "I've had the privilege of racing over 100 Thoroughbreds, and Five Star General's continued display of endurance, desire, and courage has been breathtaking.
"His improbable stretch run in the last race before retirement is best described by legendary jockey Joe Bravo, who said, 'The horse willed it. He's a warrior.' When a Thoroughbred runs from ages 2 through 8—winning every year—it tells you something very important about its durability and desire."
WinStar Farm bred Five Star General out of the winning Bernardini mare Party of Interest, who is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Criminologist (Maria's Mon), to graded stakes-placed winner Rescue Squad (Dynaformer), and to stakes-placed winner and stakes producer Party Now (Tiznow).
"Five Star General is what all breeders should be looking for: speed, soundness, exceptional looks, and a stallion's pedigree. We have great confidence in his ability to pass on those sought-after traits," said international bloodstock agent Chad Schumer.
Five Star General will stand for an introductory fee of $6,000. Owl Hollow's stallion manager, Craig Whitlow, said the farm will soon be announcing an incentive program to benefit breeders in Virginia and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region who own broodmares with proven racing or stakes-producing ability.
