WinStar Farm has acquired the breeding rights to Always Dreaming and will stand the 2017 Kentucky Derby winner upon his retirement. Always Dreaming was shipped from Saratoga Race Course to WinStar earlier this week for a planned freshening and exam at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. A decision on whether he will stand stud in 2018 or 2019 will be made following an exam by Dr. Larry Bramlage.

The 3-year-old colt from the first crop of WinStar stallion Bodemeister is owned and campaigned by MeB Racing, Brooklyn Boyz, Teresa Viola, St Elias, Siena Farm, and West Point Thoroughbreds. Among the partners in Always Dreaming’s future stallion career with WinStar are SF Bloodstock, China Horse Club, and Siena Farm.

“We are excited to add another potentially breed-shaping stallion from the dominant Unbridled line, which has proven to be today’s preeminent classic sire line,” said Elliott Walden, WinStar president and CEO. “Always Dreaming has all three things we look for: looks, he was a $350,000 yearling; pedigree, he is out of a fast, grade 1-level race mare and is a half to a grade 1 winner; and performance, he’s a brilliantly fast winner of two prestigious grade 1 races this year, including the race everyone wants to win—the (Kentucky) Derby. He represents four straight generations of a sire line that finished first or second in the Kentucky Derby.”

A $350,000 Book 1 yearling consigned by Dromoland Farm to the 2015 Keeneland September sale, Always Dreaming broke his maiden by 11 1/2 lengths at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 25 in his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher. He went on to become the only 3-year-old colt to win multiple grade 1 races on dirt in 2017, including decisive victories in the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby.

Following his maiden score, Always Dreaming dominated a Gulfstream Park allowance race by four lengths to set him up for what would be his stakes debut in the Florida Derby a month later. The dark bay colt burst onto the national scene with a breakthrough five-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby in 1:47.47, which was the fastest time since Alydar in 1978 and made Always Dreaming the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.

Always Dreaming won the Run for the Roses by 2 3/4 lengths—the largest margin of victory since 2011.

Earning $2,344,700 to date, Always Dreaming owns a record of 4-1-2 from nine career starts. Bred in Kentucky by Mike Ryan and Gerry Dilger’s Santa Rosa Partners, the colt is out of the grade 1-placed, grade 3 winner Above Perfection and is a half brother