San Vicente Stakes winner Iliad has been retired because of an ankle injury sustained in a workout last week at Santa Anita, owner Kaleem Shah said on Sunday.

Shah said that the injury was such that "I've been advised that if he comes back, he won't be at the same level.

"So, I've decided to retire him and find him a good home as a stallion," Shah said.

While Shah did not disclose the specific nature of the injury, he said Iliad "does not need surgery to be a stallion."

Iliad, 3, raced five times. He finished fifth in the Santa Anita Derby in his final start.

Man o’ War was denied a chance at winning the Triple Crown by his owner’s reluctance to send a young 3-year-old to the Kentucky Derby. Seventeen years later, the same owner, Samuel Riddle, had no such reservations, shipping Man o’ War’s son War Admiral to Churchill Downs.

The record crowd “of inestimable size” at the 63rd Derby saw owner and trainer Mary Hirsch become the first woman to saddle a Derby starter in No Sir, but at the end of 1 1/4 miles in 2:03 1/5, the only story was War Admiral’s dominance.

David Hicks, a former trainer turned steward, died Monday at Kindred Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., following a long illness. He was 88.

Hicks began on the racetrack as a groom and worked as a foreman for trainer George Handy in New England. Hicks took out his trainer’s license in 1951 at Scarborough Downs in Maine. He built a successful public stable and trained for owner Peter Fuller.

CHURCHILL DOWNS

Weather: Rainy

Fast

Temp. 61

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rain prior to and during training hours at Churchill Downs on Thursday did little to disrupt the plans of the prospective Kentucky Derby and Oaks starters on the grounds, save for Miss Sky Warrior, who got her scheduled half-mile breeze in about 90 minutes earlier than originally expected.

Louisiana Derby winner Girvin, recovering from a quarter crack in his right front hoof, swam and was treated in a hyperbaric chamber at the Kesmarc Rehabilitation facility in Lexington, Ky., on Thursday rather than training at Keeneland, trainer Joe Sharp said.

WHO’S HOT

There were no additions from last week to this regarding the 20 members of Derby Watch. Classic Empire remains the favorite, at 5-1, on the Kentucky Derby future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper.

So just what is up with Girvin?

For the past week or so, Girvin, the Louisiana Derby winner, has had an unorthodox schedule in preparation for the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs. Girvin last week was taken from his base at the Churchill Downs Trackside training facility in Louisville to Keeneland in order to train there, the stated reason at the time from trainer Joe Sharp being that the wet weather to hit central Kentucky made training at Keeneland – which also has a synthetic training track – a better option to stay on a regular training schedule.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Kentucky Oaks-bound Lockdown was the lone Kentucky Oaks or Kentucky Derby worker at Churchill Downs on Tuesday, going five furlongs in 59.59 in company with her Grade 3-placed stablemate Elate after the renovation break. Elate, who was pulled up and vanned off as the even-money favorite in the Grade 1 Ashland in her previous start, was actually the stronger of the Bill Mott-trained duo of 3-year-old fillies at the wire, making up a length on Lockdown, who was under some pressure to finish nearest the rail.

A group of five Quarter Horse owners and breeders from Texas and California have signed a letter of intent to purchase Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico from longtime owner R.D. Hubbard, according to a statement released Monday.

Narcisco Flores, Gary McKinney, Stan Sigman, and Johnny Trotter, all from Texas, and John Andreini of California, are expected to become the new owners of the famous Quarter Horse track and the Ruidoso Horse Sale Company later this year.