Graded stakes winner Not This Time (Giant’s Causeway–Miss Macy Sue, by Trippi), second in the Nov. 5 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, has been retired from racing after suffering a soft tissue injury to his right front leg. The dark bay will begin his stud career in 2017 at Taylor Made Stallions, which acquired 50% of the juvenile from owner/breeder Albaugh Family Stable. He will stand for $15,000, stands and nurses.

“Not This Time has it all, and was arguably the best 2-year-old in 2016,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor. “He just oozed brilliance, from the moment he trounced maiden company by 10 lengths, to his 8 3/4-length decimation of the competition in the GIII Iroquois. He even ran the fastest Ragozin number in the field in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, despite coming out of the race with the injury. As a matter of fact, Not This Time’s 4 3/4 Ragozin is the fastest in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile since Uncle Mo in 2010.”

Not This Time graduated by 10 lengths in his debut at Ellis Park in August. After romping by 8 3/4 lengths in the Sept. 17 GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill, he came just a neck short of Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Breeders’ Cup. Not This Time retires with two wins in four starts and earnings of $454,183.

Out of graded stakes winner Miss Macy Sue, Not This Time is a half-brother to last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and GI Woodward S. winner Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song), as well as to stakes winner and graded stakes placed Taylor S (Medaglia d’Oro).

“Not This Time is one of the best-looking horses I’ve ever seen,” Taylor continued. “People will see it for themselves when they come out to look at him. He’s out of one of the very best families going right now, and everything in it is good looking. The genetics just don’t miss. He’s by a sire of sires in Giant’s Causeway, and his dam Miss Macy Sue is line-bred to champion Ta Wee. This is one exciting stallion prospect.”

Miss Macy Sue, who produced a colt by Bodemeister in 2015, did not produce a foal this year, but is currently in foal to Tapit. She is boarded at Taylor Made.

“Not This Time ran such a huge 2-year old campaign, and being considered a top contender for next year’s Kentucky Derby, it really saddens me that his racing career is ending too soon,” said Dennis Albaugh. “I’m so proud of his dam Miss Macy Sue, who we still have. She had really delivered with quality stakes horses like Taylor S and Liam’s Map before, and now Not This Time. I am very excited about staying a part of his stallion career.”

Trainer Dale Romans added, “I really believe Not This Time might have been the best horse I’ve ever had, so it’s a real shame to see him leave the barn before we got to see him fulfill his enormous potential, because there’s no doubt in my mind he was as good of a Kentucky Derby contender as there is out there. I told Dennis he better stay in on him as a stallion because he’s going to be the next Danzig. This horse is the real deal. Spooky good, like I’ve said before. He looks the part, he had the mindset for it, he had the talent and turn of foot. There’s just nothing missing with him.”