North East Bound Retired

North East Bound retired

Multiple Grade 2 winner NORTH EAST BOUND (D'Accord) has been

retired and sent to his new home at Sunny Oak Farm near Paris,

Kentucky, trainer Bill Perry said Thursday.

"He leaves a big hole in the barn," said Perry, who

also conditioned multiple Grade 1 winner Formal Gold right before

North East Bound came along. "He'll be very hard to replace."

North East Bound earned $1,363,228 from a 50-12-7-3 record

that included 10 stakes wins and eight black-type placings on

both the turf and dirt. Among his victories were scores in the

Maker's Mark Mile S. (G2), Meadowlands Breeders' Cup H. (G2) and

Kent Breeders' Cup S. (G3). The eight-year-old gelding gained

fame when he set the pace in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)

at 42-1 before losing by just a neck at the wire to War Chant.

"That was his best race, even though he lost," Perry

said. "He started from post 14 against the best milers in

the world and he led all the way. He never saw the winner coming,

so he never had a chance to react. I was really proud of him that

day."

North East Bound made his last start a close sixth-place

finish in the Bob Harding S., but pulled a suspensory after being

checked on the final turn.

"With a younger horse, you would just give the injury

time to heal and bring him back," his trainer explained.

"But North East Bound is eight, and there's no time for him

to come back.

"He was just a nice horse to be around, never any

trouble, and all professional racehorse," Perry added.

"Those kind are very hard to replace."