Stakes winner Tribalist retired

The 9-year-old stakes winner Tribalist has been retired from racing after finishing last in an optional claimer for turf sprinters last Sunday at Del Mar.

Tribalist won the Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar in 2017, but lost his final 10 starts. He was second by a neck in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in 2017.

“He’s had a bunch of little nagging injuries,” trainer Blake Heap said Wednesday. “We’re going to retire him. He acts like he’s still got it, but he’s probably lost a step.”

Tribalist won 4 of 16 starts and earned $297,915. He was eligible to be claimed for $40,000 last Sunday in his first start since January. Tribalist was raced sparingly by Heap, making three starts in both 2018 and 2019.

Heap trained Tribalist for the partnership of Robert Abrams, Mitchell Dutko, and Michael Paran. A gelding, Tribalist was scheduled to be vanned to EA Ranches in San Diego County on Thursday. Heap said he planned to transport the gelding himself.

“It will be different without him, that’s for sure,” he said.