Met Mile Winner Yankee Victor Retired

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Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) winner Yankee Victor has been retired due to a minor injury suffered while winning the Hanshin Handicap (gr. III) Sunday at Arlington International. "He came out of the race with a little problem in his right front ankle," said trainer Carlos Morales. "This is very unfortunate. Yankee Victor was one of the best older horses in America and is riding a four-race win streak."

Yankee Victor, a 4-year-old son of Saint Ballado, improved dramatically after having one testicle removed earlier this year. "The procedure really turned him around," said Morales, who noted that Yankee Victor fell just a length short of having a six-race win streak since the operation. Besides the Met Mile and Hanshin wins, Yankee Victor also defeated Golden Missile in the Westchester Handicap (gr. III). As a 3-year-old, he won the Rushaway Stakes and finished second to Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness (gr. I) winner Charismatic in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II). He retires with nine wins from 19 starts and career earnings of $893,806.

Omar Trevino, spokesman for Yankee Victor's owners, said stud plans have not yet been determined.

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