Euroears to retire after defending his title in the Palos Verdes Stakes
Bob Baffert trained 8-year-old horse, Euroears, will retire after running in the Grade 2, $150,000 Palos Verdes Stakes on 21 January, 2012, at Santa Anita Park against the sprinter of the year 2011, Amazombie, who has attracted attention and focus for making his debut start of the 2012 campaign.
The James and Marilyn Helzer owned steed is likely to bid farewell to his racing career after the 6 furlong sprint, exclusive for 4-year-old and above males, to stand at stud in Oklahoma.
With two wins and a placed finish, Euroears ended his 2011 campaign with six starts in the whole season.
Even at the age of seven, he managed to bag the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at about six furlongs on 31 July, 2011, under jockey Rafael Bejarano.
The Kentucky bred son of Langfuhr, out of mare Unky and Ally by Heff, Euroears defeated the likes of Smiling Tiger in second, and the eventual 2011 Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Eclipse Award winning Amazombie in third, while covering the distance in 1 minute and 8.17 seconds.
He has never been consistent over the same surface, so time and again, he shifted from dirt to turf and on and off at poly tracks.
Euroears started his 2011 campaign with a win in the Palos Verdes Stakes, and will be defending his title this year before he bows out.
Ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Euroears drew post number one for this year’s edition of the Palos Verdes.
“I think he’s got a good post,” Baffert said of Euroears, who is 10 of 22 starts with a million in the bank. “It just takes him a couple jumps to get going.
“He’s been wiped out in a couple races so we’ll see what happens. He likes this track but there’s a lot of speed in the race, a ton of speed, but he’s pretty speedy himself. It’s a big plus being on the outside as opposed to leaving from the rail.”
Euroears drew the rail last time in the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont Park, where he finished a distant eighth.
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