Liaison retired to Spendthrift

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Lexington, KY (Sports Network) - Stakes winning colt Liaison has been retired and will stand stud in 2014 at Spendthrift Farm owned by B. Wayne Hughes.

"Liaison retires as a very sound horse after racing at the highest of levels for three straight years, and we're happy to have him at the farm and available for breeders to come out and see," said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. "Liaison is a tremendous-looking individual with great conformation, and obviously he's a Grade 1-winning 2-year-old by Indian Charlie, like Uncle Mo. We believe breeders are going to love him."

Trained by Bob Baffert, Liaison concludes his racing career with five wins from 18 starts for $767,288.

Owned by Arnold Zetcher, the colt began 2013 with wins in the Santana Mile at Santa Anita and Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park. On June 1, he was the defeated even-money favorite in the Californian at Hollywood Park, finishing second to Clubhouse Ride. Liaison was fifth in the San Diego Handicap for his first start in nearly two months.

The colt closed 2013 with a third in the Harry F. Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar and a sixth at Santa Anita in the Awesome Again Stakes.

His biggest career victory came in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity (G1) at Hollywood Park as a 2-year-old. That year he also won the Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood.

As a 3-year-old, Liaison finished second in the Affirmed and third in the Jim Dandy and Swaps Stakes. He posted a sixth-place finish in the 138th Kentucky Derby after a similar result to I'll Have Another in the Santa Anita Derby.