American Oaks winner Cesario retired
Cesario (Jpn), who became the first Japanese-based horse to win a Grade 1 race in the United States when she scored in the 2005 American Oaks Invitational Stakes, has been retired due to a ligament injury in her right front leg. No breeding plans were announced.
The Special Week filly out of Kirov Premiere, by Sadler's Wells, has been sidelined since shortly after her four-length win in the American Oaks on July 3 at Hollywood Park.
"Unfortunately, her inflamed ligament seems to be chronic," trainer Katsuhiko Sumii said. "It probably [would] take at least one year [for Cesario] to come back. I am very sorry not to see her race again."
Cesario won the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) at Tokyo racecourse and finished second by a head in the Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas) at Hanshin racecourse prior to her dominant win at Hollywood. Honored as Japan's three-year-old filly of 2005, she won five of six career starts in two seasons and earned $2,578,568.
Cesario will reside at her breeder Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm in
Hokkaido.