We Speak Horses

Constitution River Retires to Coolmore for 2027 After French Derby and Eclipse Glory

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

Constitution River winning the Prix du Jockey Club

A tendon lesion found on a routine end-of-season check has ended the racing career of one of Europe’s most brilliant three-year-olds, and Constitution River will instead begin life as a headline Coolmore stallion for 2027, standing in Fethard for €25,000.

Following a routine end-of-season veterinary evaluation, Eclipse and French Derby hero Constitution River has been retired from racing and will take his place on the Coolmore roster as a headline addition for the 2027 breeding season.

Aidan O’Brien explained the sudden retirement: “It’s incredibly disappointing. At the end of every year, we do a routine veterinary MOT on all the horses, and unfortunately, they found a lesion on his left front tendon. There was no guarantee he would be ready for his major targets next year and we never want to push them or take any chances, so the right thing to do is retire him now. To be honest, he was the horse we were most looking forward to staying in training next year. Both ourselves and Ryan thought he was one of the most brilliant three-year-olds we’ve had here, but that’s life unfortunately, and he has done more than enough to earn his place in the stallion yard.”

Constitution River proved himself a dominant force at three this year, capturing two of Europe’s most prestigious Group 1s. He overcame the dreaded wide draw in the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club – with Lope de Vega being the only horse to win the race from a wider berth – and still recorded the third-fastest time since the distance was adjusted 21 years ago. He then cemented his superstar status when dominating the Gr.1 Coral-Eclipse with ease to win by three lengths. These performances followed a brilliant seven-length victory in the Listed Dee Stakes in a race-record time, heralded by Timeform as one of the best classic trial victories in years, and his earlier success as a Gr.2 Futurity Stakes-winning two-year-old.

Welcoming the new addition, Coolmore’s Director of Sales, David O’Loughlin, said: “It is disappointing not to see him run on and perform to the best that everyone knew he was capable of, but we are absolutely delighted to have him in the stallion yard. He is a phenomenal physical specimen. To overcome a nightmare draw in stall 15 to win the stallion-making Prix du Jockey Club showed real class, and his performance in the Coral-Eclipse was exceptional. He is a serious talent with a proper stallion’s pedigree, and breeders are going to love him.”

By sire of sires Wootton Bassett, Constitution River is the first foal out of a sister to multiple Group 1-winning champion Wonderful Tonight, from the family of Champion Sire Camelot. He will stand in Fethard for a fee of €25,000.

Arctic Wolf Goes Wire to Wire to Win the $175,000 Awad Stakes at Belmont Park

Published

17 hours ago

November 14, 2026

We Speak Media

Arctic Wolf, number 9 with Kendrick Carmouche aboard in black silks with pink polka dots, winning the Awad Stakes at Belmont Park.

Five starts at five different tracks, and Arctic Wolf keeps finding the winner’s circle. The grey son of Frosted took the field gate to wire Saturday at Belmont Park, winning the $175,000 Awad Stakes by three lengths under Kendrick Carmouche.

The Awad, run as the eighth race, was scheduled for the Widener turf course and moved to the new Tapeta track, where Arctic Wolf set fractions of :22.83, :46.00 and :57.28 before finishing six furlongs in 1:08.99. He paid $13.90 to win and earned $96,250 for owners MHM Stables LLC, Chad Calvert and John F. Goldthorpe.

Metallican finished second, a length and three quarters ahead of Riyadh Way in third. Titan Ready was fourth and More Champagne fifth.

Trained by Jack Sisterson, Arctic Wolf was bred in Kentucky by Flying B Ranch Thoroughbreds and is by Frosted out of the mare Firewolves. Carmouche said after the race that Sisterson’s instructions were simple: take the lead and do not hold back.

The Awad was Arctic Wolf’s second stakes win of the fall. He won the Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita on October 3 by two and a quarter lengths, and his five career starts have now come at five different tracks.