Dullahan retired with tendon injury

Multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Dullahan has been retired with a tendon

injury, Donegal Racing announced on Monday. Stud plans are pending for the

four-year-old half-brother to 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

"Dullahan is the most spectacular-looking horse Donegal has ever campaigned,

and that takes in some territory," Donegal Managing Partner Jerry Crawford said

in a press release.

"Not many horses win three Grade 1s for their owners, but that is what

Dullahan did. Those wins included beating Game On Dude and other older horses in

the Pacific Classic in August of his three-year-old season.

"In my eyes, he is from a similar mode of stallions like Tiznow, Candy Ride,

Indian Charlie, or Harlan's Holiday, as all of them were great racehorses whose

sires weren't perceived to be commercial at the time of their retirement. We

believe that Dullahan has many attributes equipped to make him an excellent

sire." 

Dullahan "tried really hard all the time," trainer Dale Romans noted. "I

don't even think we ever got to see him at his very best. He might have been the

most talented colt I ever trained."

Purchased for $250,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, Dullahan is a son

of the Unbridled's Song stallion Even the Score. The massive chestnut bankrolled

$1,735,901 from an 18-3-2-4 record, with all three victories coming in Grade 1

events on Polytrack.

A boldly-closing third to I'll Have Another in the Kentucky Derby, Dullahan

later wound up seventh in the Belmont Stakes and fifth in the Haskell

Invitational. For the rest of his career he stuck to turf or synthetic.

Dullahan shipped to Del Mar for the Pacific Classic, where he caught Game On

Dude in a track-record time of 1:59 2/5 for 1 1/4 miles on Polytrack. He was not

as successful reverting to turf for his final outings at three, resulting in a

fifth on rain-softened going in the Jamaica and a ninth to stablemate Little

Mike in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Venturing to Dubai ahead of the World Cup, Dullahan did not transfer his

Polytrack form to the Tapeta at Meydan. He was 11th in both the March 9 Burj

Nahaar and in the March 30 Dubai World Cup.

Dullahan returned to action in the July 13 Arlington Handicap on the turf,

rallying stoutly for a close third. That figured to set him up for a title

defense in the August 25 Pacific Classic, but he failed to produce his usual

late kick and reported home eighth in what turned out to be his swan song.