Pensioned from stud duty, Alpha makes move to Old Friends

Multiple graded-stakes-winning millionaire Alpha, a Godolphin homebred, arrived Friday at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky.

Bred by Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley, Alpha is the son of Bernardini out of the Nijinsky II mare Munnaya and was foaled on March 11, 2009 in Kentucky.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and owned by Godolphin his entire career, Alpha won his first start as a 2-year old in 2011 in a maiden special weight on Sept. 3 at Saratoga by six lengths. His win was so impressive, he was moved up into Grade 1 competition in his next start and finished second in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. However, in his next start, he finished 11th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs in his last race of the year.

As a 3-year old in 2012, he opened the year with back-to-back wins at Aqueduct. The first was in the Count Fleet for his first stakes win, and the second was in the Withers (G3) for his first graded-stakes win.

Then, following a second in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct, he finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Right after the Derby, he won two in a row, both at Saratoga. The first was the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), and the second was in a very exciting edition of the Travers Stakes (G1). In that race, Alpha was the 2-1 favorite, and he finished in a dead heat for the win with 33-1 long shot Golden Ticket. It was the first dead heat in the race since 1874.

Two races later, he finished 12th in the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita to end his racing season.

Alpha returned to the track in 2013 as a 4-year old and had only one win that year, but it was a big one as he captured the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. That year he also finished sixth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park and eighth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita.

As a 5-year old in 2014, he only raced three times with his best finish coming in the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga, where he finished third. Then following a fifth in the Left Bank Stakes on Sept. 5 at Belmont Park, he was retired.

Alpha finished his career with a record of 22: 6-2-1 and $1,815,667 in earnings. Of those six wins, five were stakes races with four of them being graded.

Alpha began his stud career in 2015 at Sequel Stallions in New York before moving to Haras Bagé do Sul in Brazil in 2019.

Some of Alpha’s leading progeny include stakes winners Alpha Chi Rho, who has earned $238,974 with 10 wins in 26 starts; and Genevieve’s Z VA, who earned $228,470 with 10 wins in 33 starts. In addition, Golden Rocket earned $194,360 with three wins in 17 starts, Beta $169,145 with eight wins in 34 starts, Saloon Girls $165,982 with five wins in 39 starts, and Albie $154,274 with three wins in 30 starts.

The 14-year-old bay stallion was pensioned recently after completing stud duty in Brazil. He was returned to the United States and arrived in Florida on Nov. 29, where he completed quarantine. Then he was shipped to Godolphin in Kentucky, where he was inspected to ensure he was in good condition, and then sent to Old Friends.

“While Alpha was small in stature, he was big in heart,” said Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA director of bloodstock. “He was a Saratoga specialist, winning multiple graded races there during his career. He became the second Travers winner for our stable with his sire Bernardini being the first. But it’s also special being able to facilitate his return to Kentucky and Old Friends. We appreciate all that Michael (Blowen) and his team do to care for these retired Thoroughbreds and hope that visitors to Old Friends will enjoy seeing him there for years to come.”

“Old Friends is honored that Godolphin selected us to retire Alpha,” said Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends. “I was thrilled to be in Saratoga for his stunning victory in the Jim Dandy. I know that many of his fans will be as excited as I am to see him at Old Friends.”