Two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan has been retired due to a tear on the outside edge of its tendon.
Trainer Charles LoPresti noticed the filling in its tendon in the morning of Sept. 7 while giving the gelding a bath.
The vet suggested a scan that eventually revealed the tendon tear, which was not related to the ankle injury that was detected following his victory in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland last October, according to ESPN.
Wise Dan, an 8-year-old son of Wiseman's Ferry, has been training lights out and was slated to make its return from an ankle injury in the grade I, $1-million Ricoh Woodbine Mile on Sunday, Sept. 13, at Woodbine.
Wise Dan had not raced since the ankle injury, which LoPresti said is now "perfect" .
It retires with a record of 23 wins and two seconds from 31 starts, and earnings of $7,552,920.
Usually ridden by John Velazquez, Wise Dan won its last 14 turf races in top events at Woodbine, Santa Anita, Churchill Downs, Saratoga and Keeneland, where under US handicap conditions it often gave away plenty of weight to rivals.
Wise Dan captured the Woodbine Mile in two Horse of the Year campaigns in 2012 and 2013, when it was also voted U.S. champion turf male horse champion older male both years.
It also holds the Woodbine Mile course record of 1:31.75 set in 2013 Woodbine Mile.
Its owner Morton Fink agreed with LoPresti that it should be retired at its age.
LoPresti said they were four days away from shipping Wise Dan to Woodbine where it would be "trained like a monster" in preparation for the Breeders' Cup, Racing Post reported.