Grade 1 winner Olympiad to retire to Gainesway upon retirement from racing

Olympiad will take up stallion duties at Gainesway upon his retirement from racing, .

The four-year-old son of Speightstown has won eight of his 12 starts, including five Graded races, highlighted by the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga, He possesses both speed and stamina, having won from seven furlongs to a mile and a quarter, and to date has earned just over $2 million.

Olympiad has been one of this year's top older males with six wins from seven starts, making him a leading candidate for Eclipse Award honoUrs as champion older horse and Horse of the Year, with his next scheduled start in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on November 5.

A precocious juvenile conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Olympiad broke his maiden at Saratoga by two and three-quarter lengths at two, defeating future Graded winners Greatest Honour and Officiating as well as Caddo River.

Olympiad's five Graded victories this season began with the Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds, where he set a track record for 1 1/16 miles, finishing in 1:42.01. He followed up at the same track with a two-length score in the New Orleans Classic Stakes, running the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.74 - just missing the track record by a tenth of a second.

His winning streak continued at Churchill Downs, where he triumphed in the Alysheba Stakes, defeating two other Grade 1 winners. In his next start, Olympiad won the Stephen Foster Stakes by two and a quarter lengths in 1:47.66. He registered a 123 Equibase Speed Rating for the effort while beating an American Classic winner, another Grade 1 winner, and two other Graded winners.

His summer culminated at Saratoga with a two-length win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, topping a field of six other Graded winners.

Olympiad is campaigned by owners Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods.

Emory Hamilton bred Olympiad in Kentucky out of the winning Grade 3-placed Medaglia D'Oro mare Tokyo Time. He is the product of a family nurtured by Hamilton from her foundation mare and Grade 1 winner Chic Shirine.

The family has also produced Grade 1 winners Preservationist, Queena, Keen Ice, Harmonize, Serra Lake, Somali Lemonade and Verrazano ; along with Grade 1-placed, multiple Grade 2 winner Hungry Island and multiple Graded winners Cappuchino and Al Khali.

Olympiad was purchased from Gainesway's consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $700,000 by agents Alex Solis II and Jason Litt.

"I have been a huge fan of Olympiad since selling him as a yearling in 2019," said Gainesway general manager Brian Graves. "Olympiad has backed up his exceptional looks and pedigree with a tremendous race record. I couldn't be more excited to stand a horse of his quality and talent at Gainesway."

An advertised fee for Olympiad's first season will be announced at a later date.

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