Claiborne Farm announced Oct. 25 that PRINCE OF MONACO, one of the top dirt sprinters of his class and the only son of legendary stallion Speightstown to win a Grade 1 at age 2, has been retired from racing. He will be available for inspection at Claiborne Farm in Paris, KY during the November sales and will stand the 2025 breeding season for an advertised fee of $30,000 LFSN.
“PRINCE OF MONACO has sustained minor bone bruising, preventing him from competing in the Sprint and Malibu races,” said Tom Ryan of SF Racing. “As a result, we have decided to retire him. He demonstrated brilliance almost every time he stepped onto the racetrack. His two Grade 1 battles at Saratoga helped him earn a massive fan base, both on and off the track. His exceptional talent resulted in faster Rags than the winners in both of his races as a 3-year-old. As Speightstown’s only Grade 1 winning two-year-old colt on dirt, we wish him all the best in the coming years as he begins his stud career at Claiborne Farm. His precocity and brilliance, matched with his physicality and pedigree, make him a perfect fit for a farm with extraordinary history.”
In the Woody Stephens (G1), PRINCE OF MONACO earned a 7 Ragozin Speed Figure off a seven month layoff, which was superior to the winner, Book’em Danno’s 7 ¾ Rag.
In the H. Allen Jerkens (G1), PRINCE OF MONACO’s 5 ½ Ragozin Speed Figure was significantly better than the winner, Domestic Product’s 6 ¼ Rag.
After selling as a yearling for $950,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, Prince of Monaco was placed in the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, where he won his first three starts.
“The Prince” earned TDN Rising Star honors after his sparkling debut sprinting 5 furlongs on the dirt at Los Alamitos, which he won by a widening eight lengths as the 1-20 favorite. He then made an effortless jump into graded stakes competition with a dominant 4 ¼-length score in the Best Pal Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, completing the six-furlong race in a stakes-record time of 1:09.19 and earning a 103 Beyer Speed Figure. Subsequent multiple Grade 1 winner Muth and Grade 2 winner Raging Torrent finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
PRINCE OF MONACO’s 2-year-old campaign was highlighted by yet another graded victory in the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1).
After standing out on the West Coast at two, PRINCE OF MONACO showed elite form on the East Coast as a 3-year-old, finishing second by a half-length in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) and second again by a neck in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), in which he earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Running a 103 Beyer as a two-year-old is a significant achievement and a great barometer of talent and ability,” said Walker Hancock. “Additionally, he was only beaten a combined three-quarters of a length in two premier Grade 1 races at Saratoga this summer, while dealing with troubled trips. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Stonestreet’s breeding program and we are excited to add another one of their homebreds in Prince of Monaco to our stallion roster.”
PRINCE OF MONACO raced for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, and Tom Ryan.
“SF Bloodstock has been Speightstown’s biggest fan and supporters for going on two decades now,” said Tom Ryan. “On the heels of having Charlatan, we are very excited to be associated with Speightstown’s fastest two-year-old ever in PRINCE OF MONACO. You would be hard pressed to find a better-looking animal and we are staunch in our beliefs that he will fall into the successful footsteps of his father.”
Bred in Kentucky by Barbara Banke’s vaunted Stonestreet program, PRINCE OF MONACO is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Rainier, who is a half-sister to stakes winners Laurie’s Rocket and Greeley’s Rocket.
“I am excited for what lies ahead,” added Barbara Banke. “PRINCE OF MONACO has been a standout since birth, with his natural talent and athleticism evident from the start. His speed, heart, and sheer brilliance on the track will make him an extraordinary stallion. He’s the complete package, and I can’t wait to see him pass on that exceptional talent to future generations.”