Grade 3 winner and dual grade 1-placed Pyrenees, a homebred for Bonnie Baskin and Adam Corndorf's Blue Heaven Farm, has been retired from racing. Corndorf told BloodHorse that they are currently "exploring options for Pyrenees so that he may begin his stallion career."
After breaking his maiden in December 2023 as a 3-year-old, Pyrenees quickly ran through his conditions, capturing back-to-back allowance contests at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and Keeneland for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Tackling stakes company for the first time in the 2024 Pimlico Special Stakes (G3), the flashy bay ran down eventual grade 1 winner Kingsbarns for a three-quarter-length victory. He was then runner-up twice at the grade 1 level in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) before finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
Slated to make his 5-year-old debut and defend his title in this year's Pimlico Special, Pyrenees was scratched in the days leading up to the May 17 race following an unsatisfactory work.
Pyrenees retires with a record of 4-3-1 from 11 trips to the post and $786,316 in earnings. He posted five straight triple-digit Equibase Speed Figures in his final five starts.
"Pyrenees was a horse with an exciting career last year and one who was still on the improve," DeVaux said. "We were looking forward to getting him back to the races this season—he came back bigger, stronger, and more mature. Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to show it on the track."
Pyrenees is a son of six-time leading sire Into Mischief and out of the grade 3-winning Newfoundland mare Our Khrysty, a half sibling to 2009 Whitney Handicap (G1) victor Bullsbay.
Purchased by Blue Heaven for $600,000 at Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale in 2011, Our Khrysty has been an excellent broodmare, producing six winners from nine to race, including grade 1 winner Grace Adler (Curlin ) and grade 2-placed Virginia Key (Distorted Humor), the dam of this year's Florida Derby (G1) winner Tappan Street, himself a $1 million yearling by Into Mischief.
