Nearly 12 years to the day when Centennial Farms signed the
Keeneland September ticket for a colt named Moyne Spun, he is rejoining the
family.

Wicked Strong has been pensioned from stud duty and arrived
in Ipswich, Mass.

The new gelding who is 13 is now at the home of Centennial Farms president
Don Little Jr. and the Little family.

Always highly regarded as a youngster, the larger story of the
son of Hard Spun began to unfold in the spring of his 2-year-old season. In the
wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, he was renamed in honor of
Centennial’s hometown and its residents.

More meaningfully, a pledge was made to donate a percentage
of his earnings to the One Fund, a charity set up to assist those who had been
affected by the tragedy. That partnership coupled with the ride Wicked Strong
took everyone on proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences in which anyone
at Centennial has been involved.

After undergoing his early training with Paula Parsons and
her team in Middleburg, Wicked Strong joined trainer Jimmy Jerkens at Belmont
Park on June 5, 2013. Wicked Strong broke his maiden impressively in his second
career start and wrapped up his three-race 2-year-old campaign with a
third-place effort in the Grade 2 Remsen.

An unlucky start to his sophomore year in Florida left him
ready for a breakout performance in his return to New York, and he delivered.
Wicked Strong pulled clear to a 3 1/2-length victory in the Wood Memorial (G1)
to stamp his ticket to the Kentucky Derby.

Wicked Strong put forth a remarkable performance at
Churchill Downs, finishing fourth despite traffic trouble after stumbling out
of post 20, and he followed that by dead-heating for fourth with Kentucky Derby
and Preakness winner California Chrome in the Belmont Stakes.

A tremendous summer at Saratoga followed. Wicked Strong
turned the tables on Belmont winner Tonalist with a 2 1/4-length victory in the
Jim Dandy (G2) and was just nailed on the wire by stablemate V. E. Day in the Travers
(G1).

His 2014 season ended on a scary note when he was impeded
with in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). Regular rider Rajiv Maragh suffered a
broken arm, and while Wicked Strong miraculously was unscathed, the decision
was made to stop on him for the year.

Wicked Strong returned to Middleburg, where the shoes he was
wearing that day still hang on the barn wall. Despite going winless as a 4-year-old,
his toughness, consistency and talent were on display throughout the year. He
added a stakes placing on turf to his résumé, and his additional graded-stakes
placings included both the Whitney (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

He retired sound thanks to Jerkens, racing manager Dr.
Stephen Carr and others. After his finale resulted in a fourth-place finish in
the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland, his career earnings reached
$1,994,460.

Throughout it all, Wicked Strong’s popularity remained
steadfast. He was embraced by the Boston community, earning headlines and a
sizable cheering section at Suffolk Downs for simulcasting. More than $34,000 were
raised via his on-track exploits alone for the One Fund, and his success
undoubtedly helped generate more. He unquestionably is one of the most popular
horses to carry Centennial’s famed red and tan colors in the organization’s
42-year history.

Wicked Strong was retired to Spendthrift Farm in Lexington,
Ky., in the fall of 2015, where he remained for five years before relocating to
Dr. William Solomon’s Pin Oak Lane Farm in New Freedom, Pa.

At stud he was represented by champion Wicked Runner, Grade
2 winners Brooklyn Strong and Wicked Crane, multiple graded-stakes-placed
Jilted Bride and others.

This summer the decision was made to pension Wicked Strong,
who was gelded and returned to Spendthrift Farm. While other options were on
the table for his future, nothing felt as right as bringing him to
Massachusetts.

“We couldn’t be happier to bring Wicked Strong home,” Don
Little Jr. said. “He provided us with some of the greatest memories of our
lives, and we can’t wait to spend the rest of his life spoiling him and
thanking him and maybe hopping aboard. Our thanks to everyone at Spendthrift
Farm and Pin Oak Lane Farm for prioritizing his well-being over the years and
for coordinating with us to give us this opportunity.”

Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey is a graduate of
the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he also played football.

“Ned’s ties to Massachusetts always made it feel
particularly appropriate to have Wicked at Spendthrift, and he was instrumental
in this process,” Little said.

Wicked Strong joins fellow former Centennial runners and
stakes winners Mihos and Securitiz in the barn overseen by Holly Little. He will
fill a stall formerly occupied by multiple graded-stakes-placed Convocation,
lost this summer to laminitis. Convocation enjoyed 11 years of retirement.

“Convocation was a true character who we miss dearly,” Holly
Little said. “While he will never be replaced, it’s hard not to see a bit of
fate in the timing of everything. Caring for the Ipswich gang has been my
sweat, dedication and commitment year-round, and I’m thrilled to welcome Wicked
to the group.

Wicked Strong will be allowed to settle in to his new home
before any decision will be made about hosting visitors.

Centennial Farms, owned by Don Little Jr., Peter Horvitz and
Margaret O’Meara, are fervent advocates for responsible aftercare, an ethos
shared by the partners involved with each horse. Each partnership is set up
with funding for a separate, interest-bearing aftercare account strictly for
the use of any Centennial horse past or present who may need assistance. The
fund also may be used for a donation to a Thoroughbred Aftercare
Alliance-accredited organization.

Centennial Farms is a longtime proud sponsor of the TAA’s best-turned-out
horse awards each winter on Gulfstream Park’s Pegasus World Cup day and a
regular supporter of a number of TAA-accredited organizations, including Old
Friends, Racing For Home, ReRun, Second Stride, Thoroughbred Retirement
Foundation and Turning For Home.