Ball Four retired to Old Friends in Kentucky

Ball Four, a multiple graded stakes-winning son of Grand Slam, has been retired from racing and on Friday was sent by van to Old Friends, a retirement facility in Lexington, Ky.

Ball Four, now 10, had gone from multiple graded stakes winner to low-level winner, winning for $4,000 at Penn National in February. Ball Four was entered in a $5,000 claimer at Penn National on March 4, but scratched with the idea of running at Aqueduct.

But ultimately, owner Bruce Golden and trainer David Jacobson opted to retire the horse when presented with the opportunity to send the horse to Old Friends.

“Not every horse can go there,’’ Jacobson said. “It just seemed the like the timing and everything was right’’ to retire him. “He’s retiring off of two wins.’’

Ball Four, who had been owned by Michael Tabor and trained by Patrick Biancone, won the Grade 2 Mervyn Leroy in 2009 and the Grade 2 Kentucky Cup Classic in 2006 at Turfway Park, a race in which he set a track record. For his career, Ball Four won 9 races from 31 starts and earned $730,470.