Patch Adams is retired after injury, will miss Breeders' Cup
Because of an injury sustained in training, WinStar Farm and CHC’s multiple Grade 1 winner Patch Adams will not compete in the Breeders’ Cup as planned and has been retired to WinStar Farm for the 2026 breeding season. A stud fee will be announced later.
“Patch Adams had a straightforward lateral condylar fracture in his right hind that went back together extremely well, and he can race or breed without any notice of the fracture in 2026,” said Dr. Larry Bramlage of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. “He has an excellent prognosis.”
The well-bred son of perennial leading sire Into Mischief quickly developed into one of the nation’s premier sprinters during his sophomore season under the tutelage of trainer Brad Cox. The colt dominated over the summer at Saratoga, reeling off back-to-back Grade 1 victories. He impressively captured both the Woody Stephens (G1) and the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1), solidifying his status at the top of the division.
“The speed and heart he showed in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial not only established himself as the leading 3-year-old sprinter in the country but drew a lot of attention from the breeding public and solidified our decision to stand him in 2026,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. “While he could still run at 4, we have made the difficult decision to stick with our original plan to retire him.”
In a thrilling renewal of the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial in August, Patch Adams raced within easy striking distance of the lead in the early going. Inside the final furlong of the seven-furlong fixture, he launched a fierce challenge to Captain Cook. In a determined finish, Patch Adams pulled ahead in the final strides to secure the victory over Captain Cook and Barnes. His winning time of 1:21.61 earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 103 from Daily Racing Form. Notably, Patch Adams’s final time was faster than both the Forego (G1) and Ballerina (G1) at the same distance on the same card.
In the seven-furlong Woody Stephens in June, Patch Adams settled into a prominent spot early. He unleashed a powerful drive in the upper stretch, took command with about a furlong remaining and drew clear late from Madaket Road to win by a convincing 2 1/4 lengths. Also finishing in his wake were multiple Grade 1 winners Citizen Bull, champion juvenile colt of 2024, and Chancer McPatrick. Not only was the victory by Patch Adams decisive, but his final time of 1:21.36 stands as the fastest seven-furlong time by a colt at Saratoga during the 2025 season.
In his second start as a 2-year-old, Patch Adams demolished a maiden special weight field at Churchill Downs, winning by 10 1/2 lengths. He stopped the clock for seven furlongs at a rapid 1:20.77, just 0.33 seconds shy of the track record set by two-time champion Groupie Doll in 2012. Patch Adams’ sparkling effort was validated by a 98 Beyer.
“I’ve had good two-turn colts in my career like Essential Quality and Cyberknife, but Patch Adams is the fastest 3-year-old I have ever had,” said Brad Cox, a two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer and currently the leading trainer in the country by earnings. “When he won by 10 lengths going seven furlongs in 1:20.77, I knew he would be a Grade 1 winner.”
All told, Patch Adams won 4-of-7 lifetime starts, including 3-for-3 at seven furlongs, and banked $772,585. Patch Adams hails from one of the top families cultivated at WinStar Farm over its 25-year history. Bred on one of the most successful crosses of his generation, Patch Adams is by perennial leading sire Into Mischief out of the stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Well Humored. The family is replete with graded-stakes winners in every generation on the page, including Grade 1 winners Well Armed, Cyberknife, Played Hard and American Patriot.
“Here at WinStar, we believe in speed,” Walden said. “We believe Patch Adams has the genetics, race record, conformation and pedigree to make a top stallion prospect. Patch Adams was a fast 2-year-old and a very fast 3-year-old.”