Arlington Million winner Jambalaya retired from racing

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Three years ago, Jambalaya was on top of the racing world after winning the Grade 1 Arlington Million. Now, after starting just twice in the interim, Jambalaya finally is all out of comebacks.

“He’s retiring sound and healthy,” said Catherine Day Phillips, who trains Jambalaya and owns the 6-year-old gelding in partnership with her husband, Todd Phillips. “He’s just not really standing up to the rigors of training. He still looks like a million dollars; that makes it hard to see him go.”

Jambalaya had come out of the Arlington Million with a deep bone bruise and ran into other physical problems in a couple of previous comeback attempts.

When he did make it back to the races, two years and one month after his Arlington Million tour de force, Jambalaya won under classified allowance terms in a one-mile turf race here.

In his next start, which will stand as the last of his career, Jambalaya finished a close and troubled fifth in Belmont’s Grade 2 Red Smith over 1 3/8 miles on the grass.

“We’re going to call it a day, and what a day it’s been,” said Day Phillips.

Jambalaya retires with a record of 9 wins, 1 second, and 7-third place finishes from 23 starts for earnings of $1,748,359.

Prior to the Arlington Million, Jambalaya won the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap; the Grade 3 Pan American at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Saranac at Saratoga; and the Breeders’ and Singspiel here at Woodbine.

Jambalaya has been turned out at Kingfield Farm, which also is the nom du course of his owners.

Day Phillips said that Jambalaya will share a paddock there with A Bit O’ Gold, another talented gelding who was Canada’s champion 3-year-old in 2004 and Horse of the Year and champion older male the following season.

Jambalaya did not make the three Canadian starts during the year of his Arlington Million win and was not eligible for Sovereign Award consideration.