Soldat retired, stud plans to be determined

Soldat, a graded stakes winner on turf and dirt, has been retired after injuring a suspensory ligament in his left hind leg, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. No stud plans have yet been made for Soldat.

Soldat had been pointing to Saturday’s Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

McLaughlin said that Soldat “took a couple of funny steps” at the end of a half-mile workout at Palm Meadows on Jan. 26.

Soldat, a son of War Front, retires with a record of wins wins and foru seconds in 12 career starts and earnings of $622,760. His biggest victory came as a 3-year-old in 2011 when he won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. He finished 11th in that year’s Kentucky Derby.

At 2, he won the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes on turf as a maiden at Saratoga and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

On Jan. 13, in his first start on dirt since the 2011 Kentucky Derby, Soldat finished fourth in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope, beaten only a half-length by Csaba.

“He ran his lifetime-best number on the dirt last time. We were excited to stay on dirt,” McLaughlin said. “He tried hard all the time, he was a real neat horse to be around. Just got unlucky. He had a real good group of owners.”

Out of Le Relias, by Coronado's Quest, Soldat is a half-brother to stakes-placed My Selection.

Soldat was campaigned by Harvey Clarke, Craig Robertson III, Paul Braverman, and Namcook Stable.