April 24, 2024

Caledonia Road taken out of training, Girvin retired

Caledonia Road with Mike Smith up romps in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar on Saturday, November 4, 2017 (c) Lauren J. Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com

Caledonia Road, the 2017 champion juvenile filly, has been taken out of training and will be sold at auction later this year, connections announced late Monday.

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and Frizette (G1) runner-up developed bone bruising following a fifth-place finish in last month’s Acorn (G1), which came on the heels of a season-opening allowance win at Belmont on April 29. The removal of a bone chip over the winter and a virus this spring prevented Caledonia Road from becoming a Kentucky Oaks (G1) candidate.

Owned by Zoom and Fish Stable, Charlie Spring, and Newtown Anner Stud, Caledonia Road is a Florida-bred daughter of Quality Road and is trained by Ralph Nicks.

“It will be tough to let her go,” said managing partner Luc Paiement of Zoom and Fish Stable. “She was a brilliant two-year-old with a pedigree to be a much better older filly. She has all the makings of a top broodmare.”

Meanwhile, 2017 Haskell Invitational (G1) winner Girvin has been retired due to a soft-tissue injury. He finished second to Bee Jersey in the Steve Sexton Mile (G3) at Lone Star Park in his only appearance this season.

Owned by Brad and Misty Grady and trained by Joe Sharp, Girvin earned $1,624,392. He also captured the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Risen Star (G2), and finished second in the Keith Gee Memorial on turf, at Fair Grounds last season.

Compromised by a quarter crack when 13th in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Girvin rebounded to finish second by a nose in the Ohio Derby (G3) before earning his photo-finish win in the Haskell over McCraken.