Invasor retired after injuring ankle in Saturday work

Invasor (outside) exited his Saturday workout with a fractured sesamoid (Adam Coglianese/Official Track Photographer for NYRA)

Horse of the Year INVASOR (Arg) (Candy Stripes) came out of his five-furlong

breeze at Belmont Park on Saturday with a fractured sesamoid in his right hind ankle and has been

retired, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin announced that same evening. The multiple Grade 1

winner racked up earnings of $7,804,070 from his sterling 12-11-0-0 scoreline.

"It's a very sad day for all of us," McLaughlin said. "Invasor was a

superb horse and a pleasure to be around. Everyone on my team did a

great job with him, as did jockey Fernando Jara. It's a shame the way it

ended, but at least he will be able to go to stud."

Invasor blazed five-eighths in :59 2/5, tying for the quickest of 29 moves at

that distance with his workmate, Like Now (Jules). According to McLaughlin, the

five-year-old came back and cooled out great. However, after walking around for

about 45 minutes, the bay took a few bad steps.

"He came back fine from the workout," McLaughlin said. "But when we

went to wash his feet, he took a couple of funny steps and we noticed

some swelling in his right hind leg. We had him X-rayed shortly

thereafter, and that is when the fracture was detected."

Invasor was last seen covering himself in glory in Dubai (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com)

Invasor will now retire to Shadwell near Lexington, Kentucky, for stud

duties next year.

"He's done everything we've ever asked of him," said Rick Nichols, vice

president and general manager of Shadwell. "This is a huge disappointment for

all of us as well as for the racing world."

The top rated horse in the 2006 World Thoroughbred Rankings, Invasor won his

first five starts in Uruguay and swept that country's Triple Crown. Those

exploits garnered him Horse of the Year and champion three-year-old colt honors

in Uruguay in 2005. He was

privately purchased by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum and transferred to

McLaughlin.

After making his debut for his new connections a subpar fourth in the 2006 U.A.E.

Derby (UAE-G2), Invasor had been unstoppable. He landed the Pimlico Special H.

(G1) in his U.S. debut, romped by 4 1/4 lengths in the Suburban H. (G1),

prevailed in a photo-finish in the Whitney H. (G1) and sailed past champion

three-year-old Bernardini to take the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). That victory

wrapped up the Horse of the Year title as well as the Eclipse Award as champion

older male. In his 2007 bow, he overcame a

scary heel-clipping incident en route to his comfortable score in the February 3 Donn H. (G1).

Invasor then lined up in the March 31 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), where he

asserted himself inside the final furlong to pull clear by 1 3/4 lengths.

Unfortunately, that stirring triumph at Nad al Sheba turned out to be his final career start.

Invasor was preparing for a title defense in the June 30 Suburban when he suffered his

career-ending injury. In the Suburban, he would have been going for his seventh

straight Grade/Group 1 victory.

Bred in Argentina by Haras Clausan, Invasor is out of the Interprete mare

Quendom, who is a full sister to Group 1 heroine Reina Victoriosa (Arg) and

Group 2 king Qualified. Reina Victoriosa is herself the dam of 2006 Iowa Derby

and Zia Park Derby winner More Than Regal (More Than Ready), who also placed

third in the West Virginia Derby (G3).