Paynter to stand at WinStar

Grade 1-winning millionaire Paynter (Awesome Again), whose story of

perseverance a year ago captivated the racing world, will begin his next career

in 2014 as a stallion at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. Campaigned by

Zayat Stables, Paynter is currently on track for Saturday's $5 million Breeders'

Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

"When we set our goals for 2013, one of them was to get Paynter into the

WinStar stallion barn," said Elliott Walden, WinStar President & CEO. "I look at

our stallions in North America today and I see real dirt pedigrees slipping away

from us. WinStar remains focused on the classics and striving to bring home

stallions that excel at running around two turns and on the dirt. Paynter's

pedigree and race record epitomizes the classic American dirt horse."

Trained by Bob Baffert, Paynter broke his maiden impressively first time out

at Santa Anita, winning a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race handily by 4 1 /4 lengths.

In his second lifetime start, he faced next-out Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have

Another in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby, finishing a respectable fourth

despite bobbling at the break. After skipping the first two legs of the 2012

Triple Crown, Paynter caught up to his crop in time to make the Belmont Stakes.

He led at every call of the demanding 1 1/2-mile classic before falling just a

neck short at the wire in a runner-up performance to Union Rags.

Paynter next produced a 3 1/4-length victory in the Haskell Invitational

(G1), but was taken away from the sport for the rest of the year while

courageously fighting his way back to full health through a journey that became

renowned inside and outside of the horse racing community. He gained

overwhelming fan support, and his determined recovery was recognized by the NTRA

as the "Moment of the Year" for 2012.

After rejoining Baffert's barn at the first of this year, Paynter embarked on

a comeback with a memorable 4 1/2-length win at Hollywood Park in June. Paynter

also owns a pair of runner-up finishes in the Awesome Again S and San Diego

Handicap and he heads into the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Paynter was a $325,000 yearling purchase by agent David Ingordo, marking

Awesome Again's highest priced yearling at the 2010 Keeneland September sale. He

is out of multiple graded stakes producer Tizso, a full sister to two-time

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow. Currently, Paynter owns eight first- and

second-place finishes from 10 starts, with earnings of $1,101,924.

A stud fee for Paynter will be determined and announced at a later date.

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