Bodemeister Retired

Bode Farewell - Dual US classic placed Bodemeister has been retired

Kentucky Derby and Preakness second Bodemeister has been retired to stud it has been announced today.

The Bob Baffert-trained colt has an injury to his left shoulder thought to be “peripheral nerve damage which caused atrophy of the infraspinatus muscle” according to Dr. Larry Bramlage from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.

Bodemeister has begun treatment and a full recovery is expected, but not before the end of the season, so the decision has been made to retire him to stud as an exciting stallion prospect.

The Arkansas Derby winner was narrowly beaten at the wire by I’ll Have Another in the first two American classics of the season, and like his conqueror in those two epic races it appears that duel has now got the better of him.

The same trainer-jockey-owner combo have the quite auspicious record of filling second place in all three American classics this season as Paynter too was narrowly pipped by the now also retired Union Rags in the Belmont later in the year.

It’s a great shame that the three top three-year-old colts from 2012 are already in early-retirement, but all three should prove popular commodities in the breeding sheds; Bodemeister in particular will be especially sought after given his incredible speed.

It may only have been a short career but Bodemeister was partly responsible for two of the most exciting classic races in recent memory and retires with over $1.3 million in prize money to his name.