November 23, 2024

Verrazano retired with injury

Last updated: 8/14/14 3:54 PM











Verrazano scaled the heights in last year’s Haskell
(Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)

Coolmore announced
Thursday that multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Verrazano, whose retirement
to stud was postponed to pursue a 2014 European campaign with Aidan O’Brien, has
been retired due to injury. The son of More Than Ready was last seen trailing in
the July 5 Eclipse at Sandown, where he subsequently came up lame.

“Verrazano was found to be lame after the Eclipse, and although it is not a
significant injury, time would not permit us to have him ready for the
Breeders’ Cup, so the
decision has been made to retire him,” O’Brien said in a Coolmore release.

“It’s very disappointing as he ran two lovely races on his first two starts
for us and we had been looking forward to a great season with him.”

Verrazano made his turf debut in the May 17 Lockinge, finishing third to
Olympic Glory under a patient ride by Joseph O’Brien. He improved markedly
second time out for Ballydoyle in the June 17 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, and
came within three-quarters of a length of upstaging Toronado. Connections next
stretched him out from a mile to 1 1/4 miles in the Eclipse, but he faded and
crossed the wire 13 lengths behind the victorious Mukhadram.

Coolmore acquired an interest in Verrazano early in his three-year-old season
in 2013, after two sensational performances at Gulfstream Park. Originally
trained by Todd Pletcher, the Let’s Go Stable colorbearer captured his debut by
7 3/4 lengths and crushed entry-level allowance foes by 16 1/4 lengths.

Verrazano stayed unbeaten through the Tampa Bay Derby and Wood Memorial, but
lost his perfect mark when 14th in the Kentucky Derby. The bay colt rebounded at
Monmouth Park last summer, romping by 9 1/4 lengths in the Pegasus and by 9 3/4
lengths in the Haskell Invitational. He failed to duplicate that brilliance in
his final three outings for Pletcher. Seventh in the Travers, fourth in the
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and third in the Cigar Mile, Verrazano was scheduled to
enter stud at Ashford this year, until his Coolmore connections came up with a
bold change of plan.

“Verrazano is a striking individual to a look at — a really gorgeous horse,”
Pletcher said. “He always impressed me, both in the mornings and in the
afternoons. His run in the Haskell was a monstrous effort. He just blew them
away that day.”

Out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Enchanted Rock, and thus a half-brother to
Grade 2 victor El Padrino, Verrazano comes from the black-type rich family of
current Grade 1 star Somali Lemonade. Most recently successful in the July 19
Diana, Somali Lemonade will seek to add another laurel in Saturday’s Beverly D.
at Arlington.

Verrazano, who compiled a mark of 13-6-1-2, $1,877,983, will now begin his
stud career at Coolmore’s Ashford near Versailles, Kentucky, in 2015.



Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com