Grade 1 winner and grade 1-producing sire Bellamy Road has been pensioned to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement facility based in Georgetown, Ky.
Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, made the announcement Jan. 16.
A Florida-bred son of Concerto out of Hurry Home Hillary, Bellamy Road, now 19, entered stud in 2007 following an illustrious career.
Owned by the late George Steinbrenner's Kinsman Stable and trained first by Michael Dickinson and then Nick Zito, Bellamy Road broke his maiden in his first start at Delaware Park in 2004. He earned his first stakes next time out, capturing the Miller Genuine Draft Cradle Stakes (G3) at River Downs.
In 2005 he roared back as a 3-year-old, setting a stakes record in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1), a race he won by a record 17 1/2 lengths. The victory made him the odds-on favorite for that year's Kentucky Derby (G1), where he finished seventh behind winner Giacomo.
His last start was the 2005 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, where he finished second to Flower Alley. Plagued by injuries, Bellamy Road retired that year with four wins from seven career starts and earnings of $811,400.
Since 2016 Bellamy Road has stood at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions in Stillwater, N.Y. He previously stood at WinStar Farm and Hurricane Hall in Kentucky.
Bellamy Road sired numerous stakes winners, including 2011 Wood Memorial winner Toby's Corner and the grade 1-winning filly Constellation.
His son Diversify, winner of the 2018 Whitney Stakes (G1) and New York's 2018 Horse of the Year, also currently resides at Old Friends.
"Bellamy Road has always had a special place in my heart," said Kinsman president Jessica Steinbrenner, daughter of George Steinbrenner. "His Wood Memorial is the most exciting race that I have ever been to. I remember going back to the hotel afterward and being escorted through the kitchen because of all the people gathered outside. To this day, I still watch his Wood Memorial on YouTube, and to hear the announcer say 'A dazzling performance by a dazzling 3-year-old' brings me to tears every time.
"'Bellamy' is a rock star," Steinbrenner continued. "He deserves a retirement where his fans can visit and reminisce. It's exciting to think he will be amongst the other great retired racehorses residing at Old Friends."
"Jessica is following in her father's footsteps," added Zito. "George would have done the same thing. They're very special people."
"We were privileged that Kinsman, WinStar, and the other syndicate members sent 'Bellamy' to us, and have allowed us to stand him in New York for so long," said Michael Lischin on behalf of the syndicate and Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions. "He is sound and could continue as a stallion but the consensus was that, at his age, it would be in his best interest to retire him to a magnificent facility like Old Friends while he is still healthy and happy. We thank the syndicate and Old Friends for doing what was right for Bellamy Road."
"We want to thank Jessica Steinbrenner for trusting us to care for her great horse," said Old Friends's Blowen. "I know she went out of her way to make sure he'd get to us. Thanks also to Elliott Walden at WinStar who expedited everything, and to everyone at Dutchess Views for taking such great care of him."
