10/24/2012 5:01PM

Santa Anita: Champ Pegasus taken out of training with flare-up of injury

By Steve Andersen
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Shigeki Kikkawa
Champ Pegasus, a 6-year-old with earnings of over $1 million, could be rested or could be retired, trainer Richard Mandella said.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Champ Pegasus, the runner-up in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs, has been taken out of training because of a recent injury and may be retired to stud, trainer Richard Mandella said on Wednesday.

Unraced since a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Clement Hirsch Turf Championship at Santa Anita in October 2011, Champ Pegasus was an intended starter for the Grade 1 Citation Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park on Nov. 25 when an injury surfaced.

“It’s a reoccurrence of an old problem,” Mandella said, declining to be more specific.

Mandella said a decision will be made soon whether the 6-year-old Champ Pegasus stays in training or is retired.

“We’ll spend the next few weeks deciding whether to give him a rest and try to race next year or go to stud,” he said.

A three-time stakes winner, Champ Pegasus has won 5 of 14 starts and $1,052,520.