Zaftig defeating Indian Blessing in the Acorn (EASY GOER)

Ugh! I was just saying to myself that I was gonna take a quick peak at the Form (which I can’t access from work) and then step away from the computer, but alas the top headline is “Injury forces Zaftig to retire“. Arrrrrrrr!

The Grade 1-winning 3-year-old filly Zaftig has been retired from racing after tearing the suspensory ligament in her left hind leg, her connections said Friday.

Zaftig has been shipped to the Hogan Equine Clinic – run by Dr. Patty Hogan – in Cream Ridge, N.J., where she will spend the next month or so before being shipped to Kentucky.

“[Hogan] said it’s too great a probability that she’s going to re-tear it,” said Susan Moore, who owns Zaftig along with her husband, John. “The best thing to do is retire her and turn her into a broodmare, unfortunately. She’ll stay with Patty for about four weeks, then we’ll ship her down to Kentucky and either we’ll breed her or sell her as a broodmare prospect.”

Moore added that the injury made her feel like “somebody kicked you in the stomach.”

I’ll bet it did. She was looking likely for the Cigar mile next weekend, which was making me uncharacteristically want to hop on the subway and head out to the Big A with some pals to see her. Her run in the Acorn was my favorite race of Belmont Stakes day.

Note that as she comes up to Indian Blessing in the stretch that Velazquez drops the whip… handride y’all! Really impressive.

On the bright side, at least she didn’t get hit by lightening and her dam, Zoftig who was recently purchased for 1.5M by Live Oak Stud, is in foal to Hard Spun!

Best of luck to her for a speedy recovery, we’ll miss you!