Bernsen retires Stormy Liberal due to ankle issues

Two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Stormy Liberal, the male turf champion of 2018 and subject of a contentious debate between his current owner and former trainer, has been retired to Old Friends Farm in Kentucky, owner David Bernsen announced Wednesday.

Bernsen, who recently bought out majority owner Gary Hartunian, had Stormy Liberal evaluated in Florida by David Scanlon. According to Bernsen, initial X-rays and bloodwork showed nothing amiss, but a more extensive nuclear scan and an MRI on Stormy Liberal’s ankles on Monday revealed issues that would keep Stormy Liberal out of training for at least six to eight months. As a result, he has been retired.

According to a statement from Bernsen, the diagnosis showed “Stormy Liberal has full thickness cartilage defects on the palmar (back) aspect of the medial condyles in both front fetlocks. These lesions present a significant risk for future athletic soundness. He needs a minimum of 6-8 months off/out of training.”

Bernsen said the issues in the fetlocks were previously undiagnosed.

Stormy Liberal, a 7-year-old gelding, won 12 of 37 starts and more than $2.2 million. He finished eighth in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, which turned out to be his final career start. He won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs in 2018 and at Del Mar in 2017.

Stormy Liberal lost all seven of his starts this year. Bernsen this year had a falling out with Stormy Liberal’s trainer, Peter Miller. According to Bernsen, he has had no contact with Miller since August. Earlier this month, Bernsen bought out his partner in Stormy Liberal, Hartunian – who races as Rockingham Ranch – for the purposes of having Stormy Liberal evaluated. Concurrent with that, Miller put out a press release saying he recommended the horse be retired.

Stormy Liberal worked twice at San Luis Rey Downs in November. In between those two works, according to Bernsen, he asked for an independent vet exam, which he said did not occur.

Bernsen said he wanted the horse evaluated before making any decisions about the future and believed the best way to accomplish that was to buy out his majority partner and remove the horse from Miller’s care. That happened, and Stormy Liberal was sent to Scanlon.

Bernsen said Stormy Liberal would remain in Florida for the next month before being transferred to Old Friends via a previous agreement he had with Michael Blowen at Old Friends.