Quarter Horse millionaire Matabari retired

The millionaire Quarter Horse mare Matabari was retired due to a tendon injury earlier this week, a defection with implications on the $600,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12.

Matabari held an automatic berth for the Champion of Champions for a win against males in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship in February. She has not started since that race.

With Matabari out of action, there are four horses holding automatic berths for the Champion of Champions – Dashin Brown Streak (who won the Remington Park Championship), Far Niente (Vessels Maturity), Moonist (Los Alamitos Championship), and Quirky (Mildred Vessels Handicap).

Apollitical Blood earned a berth for winning the All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 6, but will race in Texas and New Mexico this fall. Berths are available to the winners of the Los Alamitos Super Derby on Oct. 31, and the Bank of America Challenge Championship at Lone Star Park on Nov. 7.

At least four berths will be available from the Z. Wayne Griffin Director’s Trial for the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Nov. 15.

Matabari won 7 of 14 starts and earned $1,410,471 in a career highlighted by wins in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and 2013 Los Alamitos Super Derby. She was third in the 2013 Champion of Champions, the year she was honored as champion 3-year-old filly.

Matabari will be bred in 2016, according to Jose Maria Gonzalez, a co-owner of the 5-year-old.