Top turf mare Mean Mary retired

Mean Mary, a five-time graded stakes-winning mare and a top contender for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar, has been retired from racing due to injury, trainer Graham Motion confirmed Friday morning.

Mean Mary, most recently second in the Grade 1 Beverly D. on Aug. 14 at Arlington Park, was diagnosed with “significant bone bruising of the inside condyle in her right front fetlock causing an area of weakness that is susceptible to further injury if she were to continue in training,” Motion said via text.

The injury was diagnosed during a CT scan performed Thursday at the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania. Motion said he sent Mean Mary to New Bolton because he wasn’t comfortable with the way she was moving.

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Mean Mary, a 5-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy, is owned and was bred by Alex Campbell. Mean Mary won seven of 12 starts and earned $1,086,270. She won two runnings of the Grade 2 New York Stakes at Belmont Park and three Grade 3 stakes - the La Prevoyante, Orchid and Gallorette.

Last year, Mean Mary finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland and was being pointed to that race again this year. Motion was looking to run Mean Mary in the Grade 3, $300,000 Waya Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 3.

“My biggest disappointment was I was not able to win a Grade 1 with her,” Motion said. “She’s a Grade 1-caliber filly. She’s become such a big part of our barn.”

Motion said Mean Mary is turned out in a paddock at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland.