It has been announced that world champion pacer Lather Up (p,4,1:46 [$1,917,935]) has been retired from racing.
Co-owner George Teague Jr. has told harnessracing.com that the four-year-old son of Im Gorgeous is being retired as a result of an injury.
Lather Up retires with 23 wins from 37 career starts, with his victories including a 1:46 effort in the $250,000 Graduate Series final in July at the Meadowlands Racetrack. The time was the fastest ever by a four-year-old pacer and equalled the all-age mark set by Always B Miki. It is also the fastest mile ever at the Meadowlands.
Lather Up’s biggest victory last year at three was the $1-million North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park, where he paced his seasonal best of 1:48.1. In addition to his world record effort in the Graduate final, Lather Up’s wins this year include the $423,000 William Haughton Memorial and the $230,200 Sam McKee Memorial at the Meadowlands. He also won the $330,000 Dan Patch at Hoosier Park in 1:47.2, which equalled the stakes and track record.
Lather Up's last race was on August 31 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, where he finished second by just a head in 1:48.4 in the Canadian Pacing Derby.
Lather Up and his connections, pictured at the Meadowlands after his 1:46 mile (Images courtesy Lisa Photo).
Trained by Clyde Francis of the Teague Stable, Lather Up retires with career earnings of $1,735,623. He is owned by Gary and Barbara Isles, Teague and Taylor Made Stallions, the latter of which purchased a 50 per cent interest in the pacer on the eve of his Dan Patch victory.
The sale to Taylor Made Stallions was brokered by Ernie Martinez of Martinez Equine, and he told harnessracing.com that Lather Up will be formally retired in ceremonies over Breeders Crown weekend later this month at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
“Due to injury we're not going to race him anymore," said Martinez. "We are going to do a retirement ceremony at the Breeders Crown. We’ll have a brochure put together and announce where the horse will stand and a stud fee. We’ll have more details to follow.”
(Harnessracing.com)