Lady Tak's racing days end

Lady Tak, a multiple Grade 1-winning mare who earned more than $1 million, has been retired from racing, trainer Steve Asmussen said Friday.

Lady Tak, 5, has been sent to Hill 'n' Dale Farm in Lexington, Ky.

Asmussen said the decision to retire Lady Tak, owned by William Heiligbrodt, was made after it was determined she could not make Sunday's Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap, a race she won last year. Asmussen said he lost valuable training time with Lady Tak this spring when his Churchill Downs barn was one of three put under quarantine for equine herpes.

"Mr. Heiligbrodt, having great respect for the mare, didn't push on," Asmussen said. "Lady Tak didn't owe us anything."

Lady Tak won the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga in 2003 and came back the following year to win the Grade 1 Ballerina.

Lady Tak ran just once this year, finishing third in an allowance race at Churchill Downs on May 5.

A daughter of Mutakddim out of Star of My Eye, Lady Tak had a record of 10-4-2 from 19 starts and earned $1,160,782.