Benny the Bull retired after injury
 

Benny the Bull retired after injury
By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Benny the Bull, the leading sprinter in the nation, was found to have a chip in his right front ankle on Wednesday and has been retired from racing, his connections said.

Benny the Bull had worked six furlongs in 1:14.29 at Aqueduct on Monday, and on Tuesday trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said he was very much looking forward to running him in Saturday's Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga.

But on Wednesday, Dutrow noticed some filling in Benny the Bull's ankle, and subsequent X-rays revealed the chip, according to Michael Iavarone, the head of the group that owns majority interest in Benny the Bull. Iavarone said the chip could be easily removed surgically, but that the horse would not be able to make it back for this October's Breeders' Cup Sprint. Iavarone said plans were for the horse to be retired at year's end.

"There's ups and downs in this game, but I don't even view this as a down," said Iavarone, co-president of the International Equine Acquisitions Holdings Inc. Stable, which purchased Benny the Bull privately last summer. "The horse has retired without something terrible happening, and hopefully he'll live a happy and healthy life."

Iavarone said stallion plans are pending for Benny the Bull, a 5-year-old Florida-bred son of Lucky Lionel who won 9 of 17 starts and earned $2,221,630. Benny the Bull won his last five starts, including the Grade 1 De Francis at Laurel Park last year, the Sunshine Millions, Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, Grade 2 True North, and Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap this year.

Spin it how they may, I don't expect to see blue hen mares lining up to breed to a son of Lucky Lionel.....

Hate to hear that.. I looked forward to his return. :(

The way he ran in his last two starts combined with his very infrequent works, something was likely up with him to begin with.

this is what is so irritating to me, automatic retirement of these horses. they said he was done at years' end anyway, so that's why they're retiring him now. my question is why? why the rush to send a son of the monster lucky lionel to stud?? this is by no means a career ending injury. ridiculous.

Normally I'd agree, but really, what's there to gain by bringing him back next year? He'll be six, so he might start slowing down, his value right now is likely as high as it's going to get, he's already got this year's Eclipse sewn up, and he's won just about every important sprint race except the Forego and BC Sprint, and those are both over a year away.

I also agree that these morons are dreaming if they think a son of Lucky Lionel is going to be some hot commodity at stud (same goes for Kip Deville), but I don't see the sense in bringing him back at six either.

six isn't that old, really. and considering the dearth of top horses, he could win quite a few races next year. well....considering who the trainer is, maybe not quite a few. but the few he enters.

as for raising or lowering his value...i'd think he hasn't got much value anyway.
now watch him take off at stud.





yeah, right.

Like I said, what is there left to win? The Forego, which he ran second in with a 119 Beyer, and the BC Sprint, and he would be well into his six-year-old year when those races finally came around.

I don't think he has much value at stud either, but whatever value he does have is probably at its peak right now (it'll be even higher once he wins the Eclipse), so I don't quite see the point in bringing him back at six.

He's done enough. Winning a major competition multiple times is not the cool thing to do in this sport.

He has it wrapped up? If a horse wins the Forgeo and Breeders Cup wont they have just as good if not better credentials then BtB? And thats not even counting the De Francis. The Dubai race is nice but it shouldnt count and the Sunshine Millions is a restricted race. He may be the leader now but he is far from a lock.

I dont think an Eclipse will do anything value wise for this horse at stud. Closing sprinters by LL in a depressed market arent going to be well received regardless of awards.

What horse in this sprint division is winning all three of those races? Hell, I couldn't even tell you who's pointing to the Forego, much less who's good enough to win it.

Horses who win the Breeders Cup are almost always named eclipse champion. Because the fields are so weak a horse with a good 8 week run can win the thing. Ever heard of Reraise?

Fine, there's a Reraise lurking out there somewhere in this horrendous division. Was there a horse in '98 that won the equivalent of the Golden Shaheen, Sunshine Millions, True North and Smile Sprint?

I think there's very little chance anyone else wins the Eclipse, but even if it happens, that wasn't my main point. My point was that I can see why IEAH wouldn't feel the need to bring this horse back at six.

Do you really think that his age is a big factor in the decision? Maybe I am being cynical but there is no reason to believe that the chip wasnt going to be a major problem in the future and if he was 4 i'm sure the same decision would have been made. The truth is he will be soon forgotten.

Thor's Echo is a better example than Reraise. He hadn't won a race in a year and a half - and he only entered the Ancient Title a few weeks before the BC Sprint because an allowance race didn't fill.

TE was 2nd to Bordonaro and parlayed the Sprint and DeFrancis Dash to an Eclipse.

Reraise was just awesome all year long in '98. Winning all four of his six furlong races in dominant wire-to-wire fashion after displaying razor sharp speed. His only loss a 2nd at Del Mar to Young At Heart going 7 furlongs where he went way too fast early and came apart in the final furlong. The only race in his 8 race career in which he didn't dominate. He was close to untouchable at three quarters.

I think he beat older horses twice that year, the AT and BC. Werent they the only grade 1's he had that year?

Didnt they get rid of the De Francis this year. I could have sworn I read that LRL got rid of most of their major stakes races this fall.

No, I think the most important factor is that his value, as low as you or I think that is, won't get any higher with another year in training and can only drop.

You are correct!!!

It wont matter because he is already coming into a really tough market for stallions. I really dont think he is worth much more as a stud as he could win on the track.

The BC Sprint was the only Grade 1 he ever ran in.

He won the Gr 2 Kentucky Cup Sprint by 12 and he wired the sprint field with Grand Slam and Kona Gold in behind him. He won a straight 3yo stake at HP earlier in the year by 6 over Souvenier Copy and Full Moon Madness.

Thor's Echo was defeated in both the Sunshine Millions Sprint and Ancient Title by Bordenero the year he won the title. He was also defeated three times by Proud Tower Too - including a loss to him in the Golden Shaheen.

Going into the '06 BC Sprint - Thor's Echo had lost 8 straight races, and hadn't won since taking a Cal Bred race at Del Mar the year before.

Henny Hughes had a Jersey Shore, King's Bishop, and Vosburgh triple going into the BC Sprint.

A horse like Street Boss has two Grade 1s already this year - and an ancient title and BC Sprint sweep wouldn't be shocking since he seems to like synthetic.

Benny the Bull doesn't have a single '08 Grade 1 win in the US.

i don't either, which was my point about bringing him back. he isn't needed in the barn, and could be more productive on the track. i just think this is a perfect example of breeding overtaking the racing part of the sport. what possible need could there be for this horse to cover mares?

I'm with you- I don't think he has it at ALL wrapped up. I think Street Boss should get consideration, especially if he wins the Ancient Title and/or the BC.

I understand the retirement, because they THINK they can make more money at stud and perhaps he wouldn't come back from it 100%, but I think they're in for a big surprise on how many people want to breed to him at their asking price (I'll guess $25k).

Just to be clear, I actually like Benny a lot, and would have loved to have seen him this weekend.

Kona Gold was a lightly raced 4yo at the time who almost didn't make the Sprint. He had been sensational at Del Mar, romping in 3 straight allowance races (only Officer won easier at Del Mar in the last decade) despite breaking poorly in at least two of them. He was well backed in the Ancient Title, but didn't fire, finishing a modest 5th. That left him behind the 8-ball as far as BC points go, and Headley had to plead his case to whoever makes additions based on performance. Kona Gold got in as a member of the mutual field, which killed his price quite a bit, but he didn't get a particularly good trip anyways, lagging further back then usual, IIRC, before making an inside move on the far turn and staying on for 3rd.

Yeah....happens once every few years.......me being correct that is.

If they ask for more than $12,500 for him, they really need to be examined. I'll guess $10,000 is the starting price, and that is also too high.

he should be $7500 but you have to take into consideration that no one will want to pay full price for him so they have to bump the price to get what they really need to get for him. They should try him in a regional market like PA

Where have you been man ? Engine One has been threatening me with pm's while typing from the computer in his parents basement.

I think 10k is the "right" price, but you have to remember who you're dealing with. These guys are surely going to overestimate his value.

i say they go for 25k and spin the hell out of him. one third of all stud fees goes to the cause of the week to help out with our PR. watch.