Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting retired to stand at Ashford for 2023

Klaravich Stables’ Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting has been retired and will take up stud duties at Coolmore's Ashford Stud for 2023.

The son of Three Chimney Stud's sire sensation Gun Runner made his first three starts at Aqueduct, winning a maiden special weight in December last year before landing the Grade 3 Withers Stakes by just over four lengths.

Going down by just a neck in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes in April, the colt bypassed the Kentucky Derby to win the Preakness Stakes on owner Seth Klarman’s birthday, defeating Epicentre by a length and a quarter.

The three-year-old, who is out of an unraced Tiznow half-sister to champion sprinter and proven sire Speightstown, is in turn a half-brother to half-brother to dirt winners Shocking Fast and Caught Looking.

Bred by Three Chimneys Farm, Early Voting sold to Mike Ryan for $200,000 from Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“Early Voting was an outstanding physical specimen as a yearling,” said Ryan. “He had size, strength, scope, substance and tremendous quality. It is very easy to be impressed by him, he has all the credentials to become a successful stallion and I am very confident that breeders will love him.”

Chad Brown added: “Early Voting identified himself very early in his initial training as one of our top colts in his crop. He has tremendous gate speed for a horse his size and incredible stamina to compliment it. His performance in the Preakness confirms his talent as one of the best in this talented division.”

“We’re delighted to be standing Classic winner Early Voting,” said Ashford’s Dermot Ryan. “He’s a very good-looking son of a remarkable sire in Gun Runner - with an incredible six Grade 1 winners from his first crop - and he’s out of a half-sister to the sire of our own Munnings.”

A fee for Early Voting will be announced later.

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