Photo:

Scott Serio / Eclipse Sportswire

Claiborne Farm secured the breeding rights to Prince of Monaco, one of the top dirt sprinters of his class and the only son of legendary stallion Speightstown to win a Grade 1 at age 2. He will enter stud at the Paris, Ky., farm upon his retirement from racing.

The 3-year-old is targeting the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 2 at Del Mar for his next start.

After selling as a yearling for $950,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, Prince of Monaco was placed in the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, where he won his first three starts.

“The Prince” debuted in a five-furlong sprint on the dirt at Los Alamitos, which he won by a widening eight lengths as the 1-20 favorite. He then made an effortless jump into graded-stakes competition with a dominant 4 1/4-length score in the Best Pal Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, completing the six-furlong race in a stakes-record time of 1:09.19 and earning a 103 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form. Subsequent multiple Grade 1 winner Muth and Grade 2 winner Raging Torrent finished second and third, respectively.

Prince of Monaco’s 2-year-old campaign was highlighted by another graded victory in the Del Mar Futurity (G1).

After standing out on the West Coast at 2, Prince of Monaco has shown elite form on the East Coast as a 3-year-old, finishing second by a half-length in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) and second again by a neck in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), in which he earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Running a 103 Beyer as a 2-year-old is a significant achievement and a great barometer of talent and ability,” Claiborne president Walker Hancock said. “Additionally, he was only beaten a combined three-quarters of a length in two premier Grade 1 races at Saratoga this summer, while dealing with troubled trips. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Stonestreet’s breeding program, and we are excited to add another one of their homebreds in Prince of Monaco to our stallion roster.”

Prince of Monaco races for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan.

“SF Bloodstock has been Speightstown’s biggest fan and supporters for going on two decades now,” Ryan said. “On the heels of having Charlatan, we are very excited to be associated with Speightstown’s fastest 2-year-old ever in Prince of Monaco. You would be hard pressed to find a better-looking animal, and we are staunch in our beliefs that he will fall into the successful footsteps of his father.”

Bred in Kentucky by Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet program, Prince of Monaco is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Rainier, who is a half-sister to stakes winners Laurie’s Rocket and Greeley’s Rocket.

“I am excited for what lies ahead,” Banke said. “Prince of Monaco has been a standout since birth, with his natural talent and athleticism evident from the start. His speed, heart and sheer brilliance on the track will make him an extraordinary stallion. He’s the complete package, and I can’t wait to see him pass on that exceptional talent to future generations.”