G P Fleet, Grade III Winner on Grass, Injured and Retired

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Grade III turf winner G P Fleet, who earned most of his $564,918 after being claimed for $80,000 in his fourth career start, was injured in an April 13 allowance race at Keeneland and has been retired.

Owned by Richard, Bertram, and Elaine Klein, G P Fleet took a bad step while on the lead near the top of the stretch in the 1 1/8-mile turf race and finished last of five. Richard Klein said the gelding injured his right front foot and was retired, though the injury isn't life-threatening.

G P Fleet, a 6-year-old by Northern Afleet   out of the Spectacular Bid mare Come On Bid, was claimed by the Klein family for $80,000 at Churchill Downs in June 2003. He went on to win the Regaey Island Stakes on the turf at Ellis Park that summer, and in 2004 won the Tri-State Handicap on the grass at Ellis Park, and the River City Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill. Last year, G P Fleet won the Fair Grounds Breeders' Cup Handicap on the turf.

"You don't often claim a horse for $80,000 a make a half-million dollars with him," Klein said. "He was a fun little horse who took us to places like Santa Anita and Monmouth. He was no bigger than a minute, but he had a heart the size of 60 minutes."

G P Fleet, trained by Steve Flint, retires with nine wins, nine seconds, and two thirds in 33 starts. Of his total earnings, $488,224 came on the turf. He almost won the River City twice; in 2005, he finished second by nose to America Alive.

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