Victory Gallop’s Career Ends Because of Injury to Foreleg

There will be no Pacific Classic--or any other race--for Victory Gallop.

The nation’s top handicap horse, on the strength of his impressive victory over Behrens in the Whitney Handicap 13 days ago, was retired Friday after an examination revealed a torn ligament in his left foreleg.

The 4-year-old son of Cryptoclearance probably suffered the injury in the Whitney.

“He had a little [swelling] behind his pastern [Thursday morning],” trainer Elliott Walden said. “He had an ultrasound and it revealed a tear. . . . He’s too valuable a horse to try to rehabilitate and it would have been a six-month process.

“We decided pretty quickly [retirement] was the right thing to do.”

Victory Gallop, owned by Prestonwood Farm, finished his career with nine victories in 17 races and earnings of $3.5 million. He had been scheduled to fly west a week ago to begin preparations for the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 29, but the trip was delayed after the colt coughed.

“People might think the cough was a mirage, but it wasn’t,” Walden said. “We had intentions all along of going to the Pacific Classic and he did cough after the [Whitney]. The injury really didn’t show up until he had galloped a couple of days.”

Before the Whitney, Victory Gallop had won two of his three other starts this year. He won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, then was third in the Dubai World Cup, then won the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in June.

As a 3-year-old, he was second to Real Quiet in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, then got his revenge with a nose victory in the most exciting Belmont Stakes since Affirmed edged Alydar in 1978.

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How appropriate that Larry Opas and Frank Sinatra, the men who own Christmas Boy, are doctors.

Neither is involved in equine medicine, but they have paid more than their share of vet bills during the career of their 6-year-old gelding, who is the 2-1 morning line favorite for today’s $150,000 Pat O’Brien Handicap at Del Mar.

Because of various setbacks, among them a bowed tendon and three surgeries to remove bone chips in a knee, Christmas Boy has raced only 12 times, winning six for trainer John Sadler.

Since returning to the races in late June, after spending almost nine months on the sideline, the Florida-bred son of Well Decorated has come back better than ever.

Second to Mazel Trick, who may very well win the Pacific Classic later this month, in the Triple Bend Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park, Christmas Boy exploded when he arrived here for the Bing Crosby Breeders’ Cup Handicap on July 25.

Breaking from the rail under jockey Corey Nakatani, he took control from the start and was never seriously threatened, winning by five lengths in 1:08 for the six furlongs. Son Of A Pistol and Big Jag, both multiple stakes winners, were among his victims.

Those two, and six others, will try to knock off Christmas Boy this afternoon as he tries to become the first horse to sweep the Crosby and O’Brien since Bruho in 1991.

Although Sadler, who has trained such talented sprinters as Olympic Prospect, Frost Free, Track Gal, Three Peat, Melair and Valiant Pete, would have preferred another week or two between races, he says Christmas Boy, who earned his maiden win against $25,000 claimers, is doing well.

“He’s fine, he’s in good shape,” Sadler said Friday morning. “We’re happy he finally gets off the rail [Christmas Boy drew Post 5 for the seven-furlong O’Brien]. He wasn’t on the rail in the Triple Bend, but he was inside [Post 2].”