Roses in May Retired with Tendon Injury

Roses in May, a top handicap horse over the past two seasons, has been retired by owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey due to a torn tendon in the horse's left front leg. The 5-year-old son of Devil His Due won eight of 13 races, finishing worse than second only once, and earned $5,490,187.

"He brought me and my family to a new level," said Ramsey. "He was special to us, a real home-run horse. All the big races he ran in...his Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) was the highlight of my career. What a great joy that was leading that horse into the winner's circle of a prestigious race like that."

An ultrasound performed by Dr. Steve Allday Aug. 19 confirmed the tendon injury. Roses in May had not been back to the racetrack since a workout a week before the ultrasound was done. It was announced earlier this season that Roses in May had been sold to undisclosed Japanese interests, and would begin his stallion career in Japan next year. That plan remains ontrack.

Roses in May had a banner season in 2004, winning allowance contests at Keeneland and Churchill Downs before scoring his first stakes win in the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. III). He added the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) and the Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap (gr. II) to his win column, and was a perfect five-for-five entering the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), where he was a game second to eventual Horse of the Year Ghostzapper.

In his 2005 campaign, Roses in May was second to Saint Liam in the Donn Handicap (gr. I) before scoring in Dubai in March in what would be his last race. Roses in May was bred in Kentucky by Margaux Farm.

Ramsey thanked his trainer, Dale Romans, for maintaining Roses in May, and also said a clause in the stallion contract gives Ramsey the opportunity to bring Roses in May back when his breeding career is over.