I don't get what Hughes is looking to do. Even though Wilburn is a son of Bernardini, without a significant race record behind him, how much can this horse really command at stud? He hasn't done enough yet to warrant a high fee, and racing him next year probably has a lot more upside (assuming he's healthy) than downside (like a Flower Alley, who probably was devalued by racing as a 4YO). Hughes made a similar retirement of Into Mischief immediately after he ran second in the Malibu Stakes, and that horse only stands for $8500.
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