Wise Dan forced to retire; Firecracker renamed for him..

[Kasept]

http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com...e-dan-retired/

Two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan (Wiseman’s Ferry–Lisa Danielle, by Wolf Power {SAf}), expected to make his eagerly awaited return to racing in next week’s GI Woodbine Mile, has been retired from racing, according to a release from the Canadian track.

“He’d been training lights out,” trainer Charlie LoPresti said. “But we noticed some filling in his tendon this morning when we were giving him a bath. The vet suggested we scan it and it turns out he has a tear on the outside edge of his tendon.”

The tendon injury was not related to the ankle injury which had sidelined Morton Fink’s champion since he won the GI Shadwell Turf Mile last October.

[casp0555]

Sad to hear this but so happy they found this before it could have gotten worse and had a much different outcome. Happy retirement Wise Dan and thanks for the memories....and winning tickets

[Rudeboyelvis]

Originally Posted by casp0555

Sad to hear this but so happy they found this before it could have gotten worse and had a much different outcome. Happy retirement Wise Dan and thanks for the memories....and winning tickets

Couldn't have said it better....What a horse

[Needing the Wire]

Sad to see one of my favorites retire, but so glad this was discovered prior to racing again. Got to see him up close last year at Keeneland (see avatar) and will always be one of my fondest memories.
Thanks for all you did for the sport!

[Danzig]

Oh, no. Glad they found the filling, but hate it was there to be found.
I was looking forward to his return, seemed to be back good as new.
I wish him a long and happy life. He was so much fun. Thanks, Dan, it was a blast

[senator L]

How many horses in the last 10 years
had a record like this 31 23 2 0
Earnings: $7,552,920

Really enjoyed this horse, I hope he has
a nice retirement with the other Dan

[casp0555]

Originally Posted by senator L

How many horses in the last 10 years
had a record like this 31 23 2 0
Earnings: $7,552,920

Really enjoyed this horse, I hope he has
a nice retirement with the other Dan

so true...like I said, winning tickets

[declansharbor]

What an awesome horse to follow.

One of my favorite wins of his was when he shot up the rail in the rain in 2013's edition of the Firecracker. Fell in love with the picture of him skimming the rail, and to this day serves as my profile pic.

He's earned a retirement filled with spoils.

[gamblin4ever]

Happy retirement big fella. You definately did enough in your career to enjoy the retirement.

Kudos to the connections for doing right by the horse in his career so we could enjoy watching him race instead of ruining him.

[mclem0822]

But what an outstanding run he had! Awesome job by Mr. Lopresti.

[OldDog]

Indeed. Looking forward to his next visit on ATR.

I was hoping to see Wise Dan race again at Keeneland, but it wasn't meant to be.

[tanner12oz]

Best horse I've seen...all class. Can't wait to visit him

[OldDog]

A update on the champ

https://www.thoroughbredracing.com//...3817-200379909

[GenuineRisk]

From the article:

“About two days after we’d announced his retirement I was grazing him on the lawn. He loves to graze, and he’ll just stare at the racetrack. Most of the time he’ll get a little ramped up, but this morning it was quiet, and horses were coming back and forth, and he stood there staring.
_
“I got to looking at him and my eyes started tearing up, and the tears started running down my face. He turned around and he looked at me. He kind of cocked his head and then he reached out and pressed his muzzle up against the side of my face. It was like he was saying, ‘It’s okay. It’s all going to be fine. I’m not mad anymore.’ He’s just like that. He has a lot of human qualities.”

[casp0555]

I am so glad that Wise Dan is healthy and living the life of retirement with someone that adores him.

"You know, so many of these racehorses come home with big old ankles and they have no life after that,” LoPresti said. “He’s going to have a life, and that was a goal of mine. I wanted him to have a normal life. We can do a lot of things with him.”

Enjoy Champ!!

[Danzig]

hope the two dans enjoy their retirement.

[TouchOfGrey]

Barbara Livingston recently visited the Dans and took lots of photos, natch.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by OldDog

A update on the champ

https://www.thoroughbredracing.com//...3817-200379909

God I loved reading this. Love both Dans so much... great to know they are enjoying a well-deserved retirement and are so incredibly loved.

[Kasept]

By Marty McGee

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs officials on Tuesday released the stakes schedule for their 2016 spring meet, with the most notable change being the renaming of the former Firecracker Handicap in honor of Wise Dan, the Horse of the Year in 2012 and 2013.

The Wise Dan remains a Grade 2, $200,000 race for 3-year-olds and upward on the turf, with its distance now lengthened from a mile to 1 1/16 miles. It has been moved from closing weekend of the meet to the June 18 Stephen Foster card.

Wise Dan won the 2011 and 2013 renewals of the Firecracker during a career in which he earned $7.55 million. The 9-year-old gelding was retired last fall to trainer Charlie LoPresti’s Forest Lane Farm just outside of Lexington, Ky. LoPresti said in a Churchill release thar having a race named for Wise Dan “means so much to us.”

[tanner12oz]

Originally Posted by OldDog

A update on the champ

https://www.thoroughbredracing.com//...3817-200379909

great article...hard to not sound like a sap but almost had me tearing up. Amazing horse and the connections are top notch