Birdstone, who denied Smarty Jones the Triple Crown by beating him in the Belmont Stakes, has been retired from racing due to an ankle injury, his connections announced Wednesday.
No stud plans were set.
During routine radiographs taken following Birdstone's seventh-place finish in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park, Dr. Joe Migliacci found that Birdstone had a chip in his left front ankle. The chip is located at the top of the pastern bone where the ankle joint meets the cannon bone, Migliacci said.