Beaten Kentucky Derby favourite and Belmont Stakes winner, Empire Maker has been retired. The colt will stand at Juddmonte Farm in the US for his first season at $100,000. 

Winner of his first start, Empire Maker, was touted as a Derby prospect before he set foot on a race track. The big bay was beaten by the top class Toccet when third in the Remsen Stakes (Gr2) at his last start at two.  

Beaten into third in the Sham Stakes on his three year old debut, Empire Maker thrashed the field in the Florida Derby. The colt won the Derby trial by over eight lengths, defeating Grade 1 winner, Trust N Luck. 

He then won his next start, the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct. Empire Maker appeared to win with a little in hand when defeating Funny Cide by a neck. However the tables were turned at Churchill Downs when Funny Cide defeated Empire Maker by just over a length. Empire Maker, however, had bruised his heel prior to the Kentucky Derby. 

Skipping the Preakness Stakes, Empire Maker then won the Belmont Stakes, defeating subsequent Travers winner, Ten Most Wanted by three quarters of a length. Empire Maker was beaten at his last start by Strong Hope in the Jim Dandy Stakes. 

The connections felt he didn’t have the time to recover from recurring heel problems and retired the blue blooded colt. 

Empire Maker is a son of Unbridled, whose son, Unbridled’s Song is one of the more sought after sires in America, he is out of outstanding broodmare, Toussaud. Toussaud won the Gamely Handicap (Gr1) and has produced three other Grade 1 winners as well as Grade 2 winner Decarchy. Empire Maker’s three parts brother Chester House, winner of the Arlington Million, died earlier this year of cancer. 

Empire Maker, who gave trainer Bobby Frankel his first Triple Crown success, is owned and bred by Khalid Abdullah, who also raced his dam. Empire Maker retires with a record of eight starts for four wins, three seconds and a third.