Breeders' Cup Turf: Injury ends career of Metaboss

ARCADIA, Calif. – Metaboss, a longshot entrant in Saturday’s $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita, was retired on Wednesday after sustaining a sesamoid injury while galloping on the turf course, trainer Phil D’Amato said.

Metaboss was pulled up and vanned back to D’Amato’s stable. The diagnosis was made within an hour.

“He’s fractured a piece of his right sesamoid,” D’Amato said. “He’ll have a long life ahead of him, but he won’t be racing anymore. It’s not a life-threatening injury, but it is career-ending.”

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Metaboss was galloping under exercise rider Jose Dominguez when he was pulled up on the turn.

“I have to give credit to my exercise rider,” D’Amato said. “When he sensed something, he pulled him up.”

Metaboss won 3 of 12 starts and earned $300,420 in his career. A 4-year-old colt by Street Boss, Metaboss won the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields in February 2015 when trained by Jeff Bonde.

Metaboss, owned by a partnership that includes Blues Skies Stable and MRS Stables, lost three optional-claiming races in Maryland in the spring when trained by Michael Dickinson. Metaboss had three starts for D’Amato. He won an optional claimer at Del Mar on July 23, was second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 20, and was fourth in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship here on Oct. 2.

His scratch leaves the BC Turf with a field of 12.