GRAND PRAIRIE, TX—SEPTEMBER 17, 2015—AQHA Racing Champion 2-Year-Old Kiss My Hocks SI 109 has been retired from racing. He will stand his first season at stud in 2016 at Southwest Stallion Station near Elgin, Texas. His fee has been set at $6,500.

Owned during his racing career by Tyler Graham and Conda Maze, Kiss My Hocks won or placed in 10 of 12 career starts and earned $1,199,385.

“Kiss My Hocks is eligible for the Texas Classic Derby (G1),” Graham said Wednesday. “He’s sound. It’s just that he doesn’t owe us anything. We don’t think he has a lot to gain by running in the Texas Classic. "

Stan Sigman has purchased an interest in the son of champion and leading sire Tempting Dash.

“By announcing his retirement now, we give mares owners more time to book their mares,” Graham added.

Toby Keeton who trained Kiss My Hocks throughout his career said "It was a sad day for everyone in the Keeton barn. I was hoping to run him possibly in the Texas Classic Derby(G1), to get a bit of revenge for the bad trip he experienced in the All American Derby(G1), but I feel that the owners are doing the right thing. He's sound, and healthy and this the best scenario to send one to the breeding shed. "

"It has been quite the journey with this horse, and we are sure going to miss him," he added.

Kiss My Hocks kicked off his stakes career last Spring by winning the Grade 2 Sam Houston Futurity at Sam Houston Race Park when he raced to a new 330 yard track record of :16.719 seconds.

The strapping sorrel colt then moved to Ruidoso where he posted a stunning debut by winning his trial for the $700,000 Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity by three lengths. His :17.281 clocking was the fastest time for the 12 trials on the opening day. He returned in the finals two-weeks later to defeat eventual $2.6 million All American Futurity(G1) winner JM Miracle by half-a-length.

In his $900,000 Rainbow Futurity(G1) trial Kiss My Hocks raced the 400 yards in :19.481 to win by 3˝ lengths as the 1-9 favorite. Again, it was the fastest time from 12 trials on the first of two days of trials.

His winning streak ended at five in the Rainbow Futurity final when he finished second, a neck behind the Stoli filly Trendi.

“He lost his footing (at the start) and stumbled into (JM Miracle). Trendi was gone and we just couldn’t run her down,” said AQHA Racing Champion jockey Cody Jensen.

In his final two-year-old start, trials for the $3 million All American Futurity(G1), he was a 1˝ length trial winner however his time was not fastest enough to gain entrance into the rich finale.

Following a long winter layoff, Kiss My Hocks 3-year-old debut was a throw-out fourth place finish in the Ruidoso Derby(G1) trials last May.

However he returned to form in the trials for the $1.06 million Rainbow Futurity with a two-length winning effort in July. In the final he false broke and hit the front of the gate, just hard enough for the gate to open. He was reloaded and got a sharp start under AQHA Racing champion jockey G.R. Carter Jr to score his second grade 1 victory.

“It’s not often that you see one false break and win,” said Carter Jr. after the Rainbow Derby. “He’s the epitome of confidence in a horse.”

Kiss My Hocks came right back in the All American Derby(G1) trials with a daylight victory that put him in the $2,378,383 final on September 6.

Following a disastrous start as the favorite in the All American Derby(G1) final he finished last after losing his path.

Bred by Graham and John Mayers, the young stallion is out of the multiple G1-placed Tres Seis mare Romancing Mary SI 103 ($163,294) dam of 7 ROM (100%) including the aforementioned Kiss My Hocks Si 109 ($1,199,385) and G2 finalist My Famous Romance SI 95 ($45,814), etc.

The second dam is G1 finalist Romancin Ashley SI 102, dam of 8 ROM including stakes-placed Awesome Ashley SI 90 ($33,507 to 3, 2015) and the granddam of 2015 Grade 1 winner Gold Digging Ashley ($355,195 to 3, 2015), etc.

This is the family of All American Futurity winner Elans Special SI 98 ($1,186,540), Reach Together SI 101 ($193,261), Special Elan SI 98 ($100,831), etc.

For additional information or breeding contracts call Tyler Graham 512-285-4833.