He won this year's San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) and was second in the Mar. 9 Louisiana Derby (gr. II), but was disqualified after a post-race test revealed an overage of clenbuterol in his system. As a 2-year-old, Kafwain won the Norfolk Stakes (gr. II) and Best Pal Stakes (gr. III) and was second in the Del Mar Futurity (gr. II).
Multiple grade II winner Kafwain officially has been retired, according to Richard Mulhall, racing manager for The Thoroughbred Corp. The 3-year-old son of Cherokee Run trained by Bob Baffert was preparing for a start in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) when he suffered a tendon injury during his final workout at Churchill Downs, six days before the first leg of the Triple Crown."He's doing well and is still up at the farm (in nearby Bradbury)," Mulhall said. "To look at him you'd never know he had an injury. We could bring him back, but most times with good horses like him, they don't come back as good as they were before the injury and he's too good to do that to him. He'll go to Kentucky probably. There have been a lot of different people interested in him (as a stallion). But he won't run again."Kafwain, a $720,000 2-year-old in training purchase at Fasig-Tipton's 2002 February sale, earned $715,848 with a record of 11-4-2-2. He last raced in the Apr. 5 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), where he finished third behind Buddy Gil and stablemate Indian Express.
