Kalanisi is inbred 3x4 to Never Bend. His sire, Doyoun, won the General Accident Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) in 1988 and was third in that year's Ever Ready Derby (Eng-I). He is the sire of 1999 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Daylami, who was also earned an Eclipse Award as top turf horse in North America. Kalanisi is the first foal from his dam, the unplaced Kalamba, who is a full sister to stakes winner Karaferya.
For the second time in as many weeks, a 2000 Breeders' Cup winner and North American turf champion has been retired. Following on the heels of turf female champion Perfect Sting's retirement, the Racing Post reports His Highness the Aga Khan's Kalanisi has had his career ended due to a hairline crack in his left foreleg.A 5-year-old Irish-bred by the classic-winning Doyoun (Mill Reef line) out of the Green Dancer mare Kalamba, Kalanisi will be retired to his owner-breeder's Gilltown Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. A fee for 2002 has not been announced.Kalanisi, whose memorable battles with last year's European Horse of the year Giant's Causeway in England and victory at Churchill Downs in the Breeders' Cup earned him championship honors, sustained the injury in his last start, a second-place finish in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot on June 20.Trainer Michael Stoute had hoped a rest would allow him to resume training, but since he will be unable to return this fall, his exit from racing seemed inevitable. In his only other start this year, Kalanisi finished third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-I) at the Curragh on May 27.Kalanisi never finished off the board in 11 career starts while racing in England, Ireland, and North America, with six wins, four seconds, and one third. He earned $2,148,836, with $1,289,600 coming from his Turf victory last November. Unraced at two, he was a perfect three for three, winning the listed John Charcol Mortgage Advisers Heron Stakes at Kempton, but it was as a 4-year-old where Kalanisi proved he was among the top runners in the world.He tasted defeat for the first time in his 4-year-old debut, finishing second by a half-length in a minor stakes at Windsor, but then won the Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-II) at a mile at the prestigious Royal Ascot meet. Stretched out in distance for his next two starts, Kalanisi dropped a pair of head decisions to Giant's Causeway in the 10-furlong Coral-Eclipse Stakes (Eng-I) and the 1 5/16-miles Juddmonte International Stakes (Eng-I). In October of 2000, Kalanisi got back on the winning track with a half-length victory over Montjeu in the 10-furlong Dubai Champion Stakes (Eng-I) at Newmarket.Sent to the United States for the Breeders' Cup, Kalanisi's reputation preceeded him as he was the 9-2 third choice for the 12-furlong Turf on Nov. 4. Rated early by jockey John Murtaugh after breaking from the hedge, Kalanisi needed every bit of Churchill Downs' stretch while traveling wide and in the clear. His late kick was devastating as he roared past rivals and got up to win by a half-length over Quiet Resolve in 2:26.96. On the strength of his lone victory in North America, Kalanisi was voted an Eclipse Award as the top turf male of 2000.
