Retirement for hard-hitting NY-bred Banrock..
 

Illness forces Bush to retire Banrock

ELMONT, N.Y. - On the day Belmont Park was to host the 36th running of the Ashley T. Cole Handicap, a two-time winner of the race was retired. The 8-year-old Banrock, who won the Cole in 2008-09, will not run again, trainer Tom Bush confirmed Sunday. Banrock was diagnosed with an unspecified viral disease. He spent about two weeks at the New Bolton Clinic in Kennett Square, Pa., before returning to Bush’s Belmont Park barn earlier in the week.

“I was going to observe him for a week or so; all his blood work looks really good, I just want to make sure he looks good,’’ Bush said. “We’re working on finding him a new job. It’s a question of finding a place where he’ll have some use, I just don’t want to turn him out.’’