Vela Azul, officially retired from racing on December 6th, arrived at the Yushun Stallion Station in Niikappu town, Hokkaido, on the morning of December 11th. He will begin his stallion career at the stud for the 2024 breeding season.

Vela Azul was bred by Shiraoi Farm of Shadai Corporation, breeder of Orfevre and multiple other high-class runners. He was trained by the Kunihiko Watanabe Stable in Ritto, and his final career stats are six wins (including two graded races) from 27 races.

Vela Azul ran on dirt tracks when he first debuted, but he excelled when switched to long-distance turf in the spring as a five-year-old. Since his famous win in the Japan Cup, he has been active and performing well. In his last run, the Japan Cup on November 26th, he finished seventh place.