Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint winner Hightail has been retired from racing, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas confirmed Jan. 8.
The newly turned 3-year-old son of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft fractured a sesamoid in training at Oaklawn Park, Lukas said.
"He was training in the morning and took a bad step; they x-rayed it and he'd fractured a sesamoid," the trainer reported. "Some of them recover from that, some of them don't—it wasn't life-threatening, but it certainly ended his career as a racehorse."
Hightail nabbed the Nov. 2 Juvenile Sprint at Santa Anita Park by a rail-skimming nose over Merit Man. He ran once more for Brad Kelley's Bluegrass Hall, finishing fourth behind Goldencents in the Nov. 17 Delta Downs Jackpot (gr. III). He retires with a 1-1-2 record from 10 starts with earnings of $359,979.
"I thought he had a chance to go on and do something," Lukas remarked. "He's a pretty nice, versatile horse. He ran short and long and he's very well-conformed. He was one of those we were looking forward to having here at Oaklawn this spring, but it's just part of our industry."
Hightail will be shipped to Kelley's Calumet Farm near Lexington. No stud plans have been announced.
"We're going to send him home and let him recover from the injury," Lukas said.
Hightail was bred in Kentucky by Green Hills Farm out of the Storm Cat mare Stormy Renee, a daughter of multiple grade I winner Fleet Renee. Consigned by Greenfield Farm and pinhooked by Corey Wagner for $110,000 out of the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale, he was purchased by Lukas for $345,000 from the 2012 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. March selected sale of 2-year-olds in training when consigned by Wavertree Stables, Agt.
