Suspensory issue ends Mongolian Saturday's race career

ARCADIA, Calif. – Mongolian Saturday, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in 2015, has run his last race.

Trainer Enebish Ganbat said Thursday that Mongolian Saturday has developed a suspensory issue that has forced retirement. Ganbat said Mongolian Saturday will be sent to his farm in Kentucky.

An 8-year-old gelding, Mongolian Saturday won 8 of 48 starts and earned $1,279,201 in a career that began with a win by 10 3/4 lengths in a $25,000 claimer for maidens in May 2013 at Arlington Park. Owned by Ganbat’s Mongolian Stable, Mongolian Saturday won two stakes – the BC Turf Sprint in a 15-1 upset and the Grade 3 Woodford Stakes for turf sprinters in October 2016 at Keeneland.

In late 2015 and 2016, Mongolian Saturday made four starts in England and Hong Kong, with his best finish in that span a fifth in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint in December 2015 at Sha Tin.

“He showed me many countries,” Ganbat said. “We met so many racing people.”

Mongolian Saturday, who was nominated for Saturday’s Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes, was winless in his final 12 starts, including a ninth in the 2016 BC Turf Sprint at Santa Anita and a 12th in the same race at Del Mar last November. This year, Mongolian Saturday had three starts in California, including a fourth in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes on dirt behind Roy H, the champion sprinter of 2017.