Grade I winner Greenpointcrusader retired to Ocala Stud

Greenpointcrusader, Bernardini’s winner of the prestigious Grade I Champagne Stakes at 2, has been retired to stud and will stand his first season in 2018 at Ocala Stud in Florida. A fee will be announced at a later date.

“Greenpointcrusader was one of the best 2-year-olds of his crop, as evidenced by fast wins against Saratoga maiden company and then the Grade I Champagne Stakes at Belmont,” said Ocala Stud’s J. Michael O’Farrell. “His 94 Beyer number in the Champagne was as fast as Uncle Mo, and it’s one of the fastest in the last decade from what is a marquee race for 2-year-olds.

"Greenpointcrusader has a tremendous stallion pedigree, with two of his brothers currently standing stud in Kentucky, and he’s the only Grade 1-winning 2-year-old out of his highly-accomplished dam. There’s a lot to like about this horse, and we believe breeders will really like him when they see him.”

Trained at his retirement by Todd Pletcher for owners St. Elias Stables, MeB Stables and Brooklyn Boyz Stables, Greenpointcrusader burst onto the scene as a juvenile, breaking his maiden at Saratoga before scoring a runaway 4 1/2-length victory in the $500,000 Champagne in his subsequent start at Belmont. 

In the Champagne, Greenpointcrusader ran a mile in 1:36.25, earning a 94 Beyer for the performance. The dark bay colt would go on to be runner-up in the Grade II Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream in his 3-year-old debut. He retired with earnings of $473,300.

“(Co-owner) Anthony Bonomo and I are big believers in Greenpointcrusader’s future as a sire, and love his pedigree, look and racing form,” said co-owner Vinnie Viola, of St. Elias Stables. “He ran extremely well as a 2-year-old and finished first or second in four of his first five races before injuries derailed his racing career.

"We intend to support him with a number of our own high-quality broodmares. Anthony and I are pleased to stand Greenpointcrusader at Ocala Stud and put him in the hands of the O’Farrells, in whom we have a lot of confidence in making Greenpointcrusader the next great sire to stand in Florida.”

A $575,000 purchase, Greenpointcrusader was one of the top five colts by Bernardini to sell at the 2014 yearling sales. He is out of the five-time Graded stakes-producing Cryptoclearance mare Ava Knowsthecode, whose other Grade 1 winner is current sire Justin Phillip, winner of the Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga as a 5-year-old. Greenpointcrusader is a full brother to current sire Algorithms, a Grade 3 winner on the track and tied for No. 2 freshman sire of 2016 by black-type horses.

Source: Ocala Stud release