Holy Ground, half brother to Barbaro, retired

Stakes winner Holy Ground, a half brother to Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Barbaro, has been retired.

A homebred of Roy and Gretchen Jackson's Lael Stables, Holy Ground's racing career was compromised by a suspensory injury. Although the four-year-old Saint Ballado colt has not started this season, he won three of nine career starts for trainer Michael Matz, including his 13 1/4-length romp in the 2005 Stanton Stakes on the main track at Delaware Park last summer.

Headley Bell's Nicoma Bloodstock, which advises the Jacksons' breeding operation, is in discussions on Holy Ground's future as a stallion prospect.

"He had some talent and he had some versatility," Bell said. "We've had quite a bit of interest in him already, as you might expect with Barbaro. I don't know where he'll fit in, but I think considering the aura of Barbaro, he's an exciting kind of prospect for a price. As I said, we've had quite a bit of interest."

Holy Ground also placed in two stakes races on turf, including a third-place finish to Grade 1 winner and Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) contender English Channel in the 2005 Woodlawn Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Holy Ground finished third in his final career start on December 14 in the Mel's Hope Stakes at Calder Race Course.

After being sidelined with the suspensory injury after the Mel's Hope, Holy Ground was back in training with Matz. But with the breeding season rapidly approaching, the time came to make a decision on his future.

"They tried to bring him back and he's had a suspensory injury," Bell said. "[The Jacksons] just decided the timing being what it is, they just wanted to go ahead and retire him. It's actually been a week now since we first notified a few farms."

In addition to Barbaro, Kentucky-bred Holy Ground is the only other starter out of Grade 3-placed winner La Ville Rouge, by Carson City. La Ville Rouge produced a full brother to Barbaro in April at Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington, and her two-year-old colt Man in Havana, by Quiet American, is currently in training with Matz. —Mike Curry