Met Mile winner Bee Jersey retired

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Bee Jersey, winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, has been retired from racing due to a tendon injury, owner Charles Fipke said Tuesday.

Fipke said he had not yet finalized a stallion deal for Bee Jersey, a son of Jersey Town, who stands in Canada. Fipke said he was planning to relocate Jersey Town to the United States as well after the stallion covered just 37 mares in British Columbia.

Bee Jersey began his career in Dubai, where he went winless in four starts for trainer Doug Watson. Bee Jersey was moved to the United States and trainer Steve Asmussen last summer. Last fall, Bee Jersey won a maiden race at Keeneland and finished second in an allowance race at Churchill.

This year, Bee Jersey went undefeated in four starts, including a victory in the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star preceding his nose victory over Mind Your Biscuits in the Grade 1 Met Mile at Belmont Park.

Bee Jersey had been in based at Saratoga since early July. He had breezed on turf a few times, the last a six-furlong drill on July 16, before he was stopped on altogether by Asmussen. The plan was to target the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs in November, with a likely prep in the Grade 3, $100,000 Ack Ack on Sept. 29 at Churchill.

“Dr. [James] Hunt said he won’t come back” Fipke said. “Even if we tried he’d only be an allowance horse. It happened suddenly.”

Bee Jersey retires with a record of 5-3-1 from 10 starts and earnings of $976,293.

“It’s too bad, he was such a great horse,” Fipke said. “We thought we had a good shot at the Breeders’ Cup.”