PRESS RELEASE: Leading 3-year-old Bodemeister was diagnosed
with an injury to his left shoulder, and upon deliberation among veterinarians
and the owners, the decision was made for him to retire to stud at WinStar
Farm. Bodemeister has begun treatment and a full recovery is expected in the
coming months, but the 3-year-old son of Empire Maker would not have been able
to return in time for major races at the end of 2012.
“Bodemeister has a peripheral nerve injury which caused
atrophy of the infraspinatus muscle in his left shoulder,” said Dr. Larry
Bramlage, specialist from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. “Obviously, this
made us look at something unusual, rather than a normal lameness. His legs are
perfect, but he was clinical when jogging to the left. After ruling out neck
issues with X-rays and a myelogram, we feel confident in the diagnosis. It will
take approximately 60 days to heal.”
According to trainer Bob Baffert, the injury likely occured
a couple of weeks ago at Del Mar when Bodemeister stumbled significantly during
routine training. It was enough to throw his exercise rider to the ground. “He
was just never quite right after that and we couldn't figure out what was going
on with him,” said Baffert. “It's extremely unfortunate. We wanted to win the
Breeders Cup with him.”
Initial plans are for Bodemeister to rehabilitate through
mid-October at WinStar before being available for inspection by breeders.
“The positive thing is that we now know what the issue is
and it's treatable. Bodemeister will be back to full health,” said Elliott
Walden, President & CEO at WinStar. “Unfortunately, he would not be able to
come back as a racehorse in time to make any of the year-end goals such as the
Breeders' Cup, so Mr. Zayat, Mr. Moreno and myself came to the conclusion that
it was best to retire him. With his raw speed, four Beyers over 100, Empire
Maker killing it, and his good looks, we think Bodemeister is the best stallion
prospect this year, and we're looking ahead to what we believe will be an
exciting future at stud for Bodemeister.”
The heralded runner-up in this year's Kentucky Derby (G1)
and Preakness S. (G1), Bodemeister is regarded as one of the fastest
3-year-olds in the country. He remains the only 3-year-old from this year's
crop to record four triple-digit Beyers, including one in his 9 1/4-length
maiden romp earlier this year at Santa Anita. Bodemeister became the favorite
for the Kentucky Derby after his runaway 9 1/2-length victory in the Arkansas
Derby (G1) in April, and proceeded to clock some of the fastest fractions in
Kentucky Derby history just three weeks later.
“You must always put the horse first, and it is in
Bodemeister's best interest to retire at this time,” said owner Ahmed Zayat.
“The sportsman in me is very disappointed, because the sky was the limit for
his racing career. He is the most brilliant horse that I've had the privilege
of owning, and my family and I will miss him thrilling us in the afternoons.
But every end is a new beginning, and we'll now look forward with great anticipation
to racing little Bodes in the future.”
Bodemeister, who hails from the graded stakes-winning Storm
Cat mare Untouched Talent, retires with earnings of $1,304,800 for owners Zayat
Stables LLC and Mike & Tiffany Moreno.
“Bodemeister gave me and my family the thrill of a lifetime
in the Classics this year,” Mike Moreno added. “I decided to invest in him
prior to the Derby because of his exquisite talent and pedigree, and although
this injury kept us from fulfilling all of our dreams on the track, I look
forward to supporting him in his next career.”
A stud fee will be announced at a later date.
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