High Fly Pensioned, Gelded

High Fly, a leading 3-year-old the first part of 2005, is back at Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Stud near Ocala, Fla., after two seasons at stud in Indiana. But instead of continuing his stallion career, the 2005 Florida Derby (gr. I) winner has been pensioned and gelded.

A Live Oak homebred who began his stallion career at Live Oak in 2006, High Fly covered just one mare in 2010 while standing at WinRich Thoroughbreds near North Vernon, Ind. A 9-year-old son of Atticus, High Fly is out of the Slewpy mare Verbasle.

High Fly is represented by 51 foals, 18 of which have started and a dozen of which have won. None of his runners has won or placed in a stakes.

Bruce Hill, Live Oak general manager, attributed High Fly's retirement to a shaky Thoroughbred market and a chance for the grandson of Nureyev to enjoy himself.