Injury will take Heatseeker out of Breeders' Cup
by Glenye Cain Oakford, Daily Racing Form, Special to FOXSports.com
"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," owner William de Burgh said in announcing the injury.
Heatseeker sustained a soft tissue injury to a branch of his suspensory ligament in his left foreleg, which his connections estimated would require a six-month layoff, "although he is currently galloping and jogging sound," de Burgh's announcement noted. De Burgh opted to retire the 5-year-old due to his value as a stud prospect and the recuperation time he would require.
Richard Barnes bred Heatseeker in Ireland from his Defensive Play mare Rusty Back. At 2, Heatseeker won his first two starts in Ireland before finishing third behind George Washington in the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh.
Shipped to the U.S. late in his 3-year-old season, he finished eighth in his only start. But he rebounded at 4 for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. His three wins in 2007 included a record-setting performance in the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap, where he ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.23. Later that year, he set another track record at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meet, this time covering seven furlongs in 1:20.90.
This year, Heatseeker added two more track marks to his record, the first in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, where he stopped the clock in 2:00.42 for 1 1/4 miles. The latter came in his last race, the Grade 2 Californian, in which he set a new Hollywood Park 1 1/8-mile record of 1:47.06.
Heatseeker retires with a lifetime record of seven wins and three graded stakes wins from 17 starts. He earned $1,177,776.
No stud decision has been made yet for Heatseeker.
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