Delacroix Says Farewell: Tepin’s Son Set to Begin New Chapter at Coolmore
- Turf Diario
- hace 14 horas
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A dual Group 1 winner this season, the colt wraps up his racing career at just three years old and will now head to stud
COUNTY KILDARE, Ireland (Special to Turf Diario)—European racing bids farewell to one of its most talented 3-year-olds, as dual Group 1 winner Delacroix has been retired from racing to take up stud duties at Coolmore Stud in Ireland beginning next season. His introductory stud fee will be announced in the coming days, though anticipation is already high for what he could bring to the breeding shed.
A son of the influential Dubawi and out of the unforgettable champion Tepin (Bernstein)—a mare who defined an era on both sides of the Atlantic—Delacroix was considered one of Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore’s brightest prospects from the time he was a juvenile. Victorious in the Autumn S. (G3) at two, he narrowly missed adding the Futurity S. (G1) to his résumé, showing the natural class that would characterize his entire career.
His breakthrough came in 2025, when he stepped forward decisively at Leopardstown, capturing both the Ballysax S. (G3) and the Derby Trial S. (G3). After a run in the Derby (G1), he reached the top level with a commanding victory in the Eclipse S. (G1) at Sandown, followed by a strong runner-up finish in the Juddmonte International (G1) and another top-class win in the Irish Champion S. (G1). He rounded out his campaign with a game fourth in the Champion S. (G1)at Ascot just days ago.
“Delacroix is a magnificent horse—without question the best son of Dubawi we’ve seen,” said David O’Loughlin of Coolmore. “He’s out of one of the greatest American mares of recent times, and he showed everything you want in a stallion prospect: strength, soundness, and an explosive turn of foot. Dubawi’s sons like Night of Thunder, Too Darn Hot, Zarak, and New Bay have all proven successful at stud, and Delacroix looks ready to follow that path. His pedigree is also free of Sadler’s Wells, Galileo, Danehill, and Green Desert, making him an extremely valuable outcross for Coolmore and our clients.”
A half-brother to Grateful (Galileo), a Group 1 winner herself, Delacroix stands as the finest performer produced by his celebrated dam Tepin, the champion mare who captured the Queen Anne S. (G1) at Royal Ascot and multiple Grade 1 events in the United States. His retirement marks the close of a brilliant racing career—and the beginning of what promises to be an equally impactful new chapter in the breeding world.
