MUSHKA RETIRED

Brushwood Stable’s Grade I winner Mushka (Empire Maker–Sluice, by Seeking the Gold) has been retired. The five-year-old will be bred to Distorted Humor. “She’s had a little bit of an ankle issue, and at her age it might be a little bit of time before she could come back to racing,” said Brushwood’s Elizabeth Moran. “I thought the time was right to retire her.” Bred by Diane Snowden, and raised at Denali Stud, the granddaughter of multiple Grade I stakes winner Lakeway (Seattle Slew) was acquired for a sale-topping $1.6 million as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August Selected Sale by Zayat Stables from Denali Stud, agent.

Mushka captured the 2007 GII Demoiselle S. in the Zayat colors, and wound up selling for $2.4 million at KEENOV in 2008 to Brushwood. The dark bay captured the GIII Glens Falls H. on the Saratoga spinach the following season, then was put up to first in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. on Keeneland’s Polytrack before capping 2009 with a runner-up effort in the GI Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic at Santa Anita in November. Fifth in the GII Santa Maria H. Feb. 13, Mushka missed by just a length when fourth in what would be her career finale, the GIII Orchid H. at Gulfstream March 28. She heads to the breeding shed with a record of 19-6-3-3 and earnings of $1,096,125.