Special Me, Dam Of Gift Box And Gina Romantica, Pensioned At Machmer Hall

[Wandering Eyes]

Special Me, the dam of MGSW/GISP Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast), GISW Gift Box (Twirling Candy), MGSW Special Forces (Candy Ride {Arg}) and 'TDN Rising Star'/MGISW Gina Romantica, has been pensioned from broodmare duty by Machmer Hall.

Carrie Brogden announced the news on social media Tuesday morning, saying “I broke the news to Special Me that she has been retired as a broodmare and is free to live out the rest of her days in happiness, at Machmer Hall. She loves being a mother and we have let her raise her babies. She is literally the toughest, strongest horse I have ever met. She has had knee arthritis from her racing days but has managed to produce four graded stakes winners and a $900,000 yearling from this year. We are delighted to have an Into Mischief filly, full sister to GI winner Gina Romantica, as her last foal to continue on her legacy. To say she has been special to this farm and so many people would be an understatement. Happy retirement, girl! We love you so much.”

A half-sister to G1 Gulf News Dubai Golden Shaeen winner Our New Recruit (Alphabet Soup), Special Me produced her first foal in 2010 and then hit the very next year with Stonetastic who won both the GII Prioress Stakes and the GII Inside Information Stakes. Two years later in 2013 she foaled her first Grade I winner as Gift Box would go on to take the GI Santa Anita Handicap before retiring to stud at Lane's End. He was recently announced to have been sold to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 covering season.

MGSW Special Forces, born in 2015, conquered several stakes at Woodbine and, in 2019, Special Me foaled Gina Romantica who became a seven-figure yearling grad and three-time Grade I winner. Yet to run in the family is the mare's 2-year-old named Keepsake Box (Twirling Candy) while she saw her yearling Flightline filly hammered down at $900,000 to WHS Stables during this month's Keeneland September Sale. Brogden still has the mare's aforementioned 2025 Into Mischief filly.

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