Heatseeker, who would have been favored to win next month's Pacific Classic at Del Mar, has been retired with a leg injury.
The 5-year-old son of Giant's Causeway was scratched from Saturday's Hollywood Gold Cup, in which he would have been a heavy favorite, because of swelling in his left-front ankle. Owner William de Burgh of Rancho Santa Fe announced yesterday Heatseeker sustained a soft tissue injury to a branch of his suspensory ligament.
“We are extremely disappointed, as we had our sights set on the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, where we figured to be one of the favorites based on Heatseeker's dominance of his division this year,” de Burgh said. The Classic is scheduled for Oct. 25 at Santa Anita, where earlier this year Heatseeker won the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap.
It was estimated Heatseeker would not have been able to race for at least six months. Given his value as a stallion, he likely would have been retired at the end of this year even had he remained healthy.
Heatseeker began his racing career in his native Ireland and was shipped to the United States late in 2006. His other stakes wins came at Hollywood Park in last year's Native Diver Handicap and the Californian on May 31 in what turned out to be his final race.
Trained in the U.S. by Jerry Hollendorfer, Heatseeker retires with seven wins in 17 lifetime starts and earnings of $1,177,776.
– FROM NEWS SERVICES
