Capo Bastone withdrawn from Breeders' Cup, retired

Grade 1 winner Capo Bastone has been withdrawn from Breeders' Cup consideration and retired due to filling in his left front ankle.

The 4-year-old son of Street Boss, who raced for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, was among the pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He is scheduled to be sold as a stallion prospect at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale Nov. 3 in Lexington, Ky.

"Our partners were very much looking forward to running Capo Bastone in his third consecutive Breeders’ Cup race, but he came up with some filling in his left front ankle on Friday morning," Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners President Aron Wellman said in a release. "While he’s 100 percent sound, he’s simply been too good to us for us to take any chances.”

Capo Bastone was multiple Grade 1-placed as a 2-year-old for trainer John Sadler, highlighted by a third-place effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Transferred to Todd Pletcher's care following that season, the colt scored his biggest career victory in the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes last year at Saratoga. He ran unplaced in last fall's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Winless this year, Capo Bastone retires with three wins from 17 starts for earnings of $731,756.

“Capo Bastone has been a tremendous campaigner, carrying the Eclipse colors to the top of the mountain when providing our partners with the ultimate thrill in the King’s Bishop at Saratoga,” Wellman said. “He was a fast colt at age 2, 3, and 4 and possessed a brilliant turn of foot. We’ve been honored to be associated with such a talented and classy colt, and we look forward to following Capo Bastone in his new career as a stallion.”