Old Warrior Cosmonaut Retired

Flying Zee Stable’s 7-year-old Cosmonaut has been retired following a successful career, in which the son of Lemon Drop Kid – Cosmic Fire, by Capote, won eight of 36 starts for earnings of nearly $1.4 million.

Trainer Phil Serpe said Cosmonaut has had some minor physical issues, and he and owner Carl Lizza felt the horse has run hard every race and has accomplished enough in his career, and decided it was in his best interest to retire him. No decision has been made regarding future plans.

Cosmonaut is one of those blue-collar horses who go out race after race and run their heart out. Since being put on the grass in July 2006, he ran 22 consecutive races without finishing worse than fifth. In 18 of them, he finished fourth or better. Of those 22 races, 19 were graded stakes and two were listed stakes. In all, he's started 29 times on the grass and has never finished worse than fifth, meaning he's brought back a check every time he's run. Considering how often horses get in serious trouble on the grass, that is a remarkable record of consistency.

And he did it at 12 different racetracks in eight states from coast to coast, ridden by nine different jockeys, while undergoing seven trainer changes. He has finished in the money in stakes on firm, good, yielding, and soft courses.

During his career, he earned a triple-digit Beyer figure 17 times. He won the grade III Fort Marcy Stakes over a good course at Belmont, the grade III Arlington Handicap over a good course at Arlington, another Arlington Handicap over a soft course, the Tampa Bay Stakes over a soft course at Tampa Bay, an allowance race over a firm course at Keeneland, and he even won the grade III Golden Gate Fields Handicap off the turf on a good dirt track at Golden Gate.

He also was second, beaten a neck, in the grade I Shadwell Turf Mile over a firm course at Keeneland; third, beaten only two lengths, in the grade I Breeders' Cup Mile over a soft course at Monmouth Park; second in yet another Arlington Handicap over a soft course; third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, in a fourth Arlington Handicap; second, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the grade II Dixie Stakes over a firm course at Pimlico; and second, beaten a half-length, in the grade III River City Handicap at River Downs.

Cosmonaut was bred in Kentucky by Patricia Pavlish.