Strong Mandate retired
 

Strong Mandate retired
By Marty McGee

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Strong Mandate, winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful last summer, has been retired because of a knee chip, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Thursday.

Lukas said the nature of the injury would not have necessarily precluded Strong Mandate from racing again, but that owners Robert Baker and William Mack believed trying to go any further “would compromise his career as far as that caliber of racing,” said Lukas. “We had him diagnosed by Dr. (Larry) Bramlage. The owners agonized over it but came to their decision.”

Strong Mandate was eighth, beaten 21 1/2 lengths in the April 12 Arkansas Derby in his eighth and final start. The Kentucky-bred son of Tiznow, out of Clear Mandate, won twice and ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 2, then was second in the Southwest Stakes as best of three starts at 3.

No decision on a stud career has been made for the $200,000 yearling purchase, said Lukas.

“He’s out there,” said Lukas. “I’m sure a deal would start with Mr. Baker and we’d go from there.”

News of the retirement was first reported by the Courier-Journal.

Old news.

I read about that at drf hours ago.