Santa Anita Handicap and Californian Winner Heatseeker Retired

2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park

The 2008 Breeders' Cup, thoroughbred racing's most prestigious event, consisting of 14 Breeders' Cup races and $25.5 million in purses, will be held on October 24-25, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

But before that, Belmont Stakes winner Da'Tara is going to race in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course while Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown will be racing in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

Posted on Monday, June 30th, 2008

Santa Anita Handicap and Californian Winner Heatseeker, Race Horse Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and Californian (G2) winner Heatseeker has been retired from racing Monday due to an injury to the medial branch of the suspensory ligament in his left foreleg. Heatseeker was recently scratched in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) which was held at Hollywood Park last June 28.

Stud plans have not yet been decided for the 5-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway, Heatseeker, who has a career record of 7 wins of 17 starts with a bankroll of $1,177,776.

“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,” horse owner William de Burgh said when he announced Heatseeker’s injury which would require at least a 6-month lay-off.

Heatseeker won his first 2 starts in Ireland before finishing 3rd behind George Washington in the Group 1 Laing O’Rourke National Stakes at the Curragh. As a 3-year-old, Heatseeker was shipped to the U.S. where he finished ith in his only start. In his 4-year-old season for race horse trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Heatseeker won 3 races including the Native Diver Handicap (G3). In 2008, Heatseeker has won both the Santa Anita Handicap and Californian.

“Heatseeker had just come into his own. He is by far the best horse that I have trained,” race horse trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. “I was looking forward to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Heatseeker would have been very difficult to beat.”

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"Santa Anita Handicap and Californian Winner Heatseeker Retired" was posted on Monday, June 30th, 2008 at 8:29 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.