Here Comes Ben retired from racing

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Here Comes Ben, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga, has been retired. Owners Marianne and Brandon Chase and trainer Charlie Lopresti haven’t finalized stud plans yet for the 5-year-old Street Cry horse.

Here Comes Ben won the Kelly’s Landing Stakes this year for the second consecutive time but had not returned to his Grade 1 form in 2011, and his retirement was expected. He most recently finished fourth in Saratoga’s July 22 James Marvin Stakes.

“After the fourth-place finish Lopresti told the Chases that it is time to retire the 5-year-old from racing, so that he can be properly marketed for stallion duty next year,” according to the announcement issued late Thursday afternoon by the horse’s connections.

Here Comes Ben gave Lopresti his first Grade 1 win as a trainer when he took the Forego by three-quarters of a length from Big Drama. That race also marked Here Comes Ben’s graded stakes debut. On the strength of that victory, he went into the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile as the 5-2 favorite but finished 11th. He retires with earnings of $410,764 and a record of 7 wins, 1 second-place finish, and 3 thirds.

Here Comes Ben is out of the Dayjur winner Chasetheragingwind, a daughter of Grade 1 winner Race the Wild Wind.