Tom’s Tribute retired following ankle injury

ARCADIA, Calif. – Tom’s Tribute, the winner of the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar in 2014 and three other stakes in his career, has been retired because of an ankle injury, trainer Jim Cassidy said Friday.

Tom’s Tribute may stand at stud this spring, pending discussions with farms, Cassidy said.

Owned by Marilyn Braly, Tom’s Tribute won 6 of 16 starts and earned $634,880. Cassidy said that Tom’s Tribute emerged from a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes on Jan. 3 with an ankle injury.

“He had an ankle fill up after his last race,” Cassidy said. “I gave him a lot of time, and it wasn’t what I liked. There were no fractures, but there was some wear and tear. He was a nice horse, and he showed up every time.”

Tom’s Tribute excelled on turf – in sprints and races up to 1 1/8 miles. He won the Uniformity Stakes for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in October 2013 and three stakes in 2014 – the Thunder Road at Santa Anita in April, the Eddie Read in July, and the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile in August.

In the Thunder Road Stakes at a mile, Tom’s Tribute equaled Wise Dan’s course record of 1:31.78, which was set in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Mile. Tom’s Tribute was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last November.