Breeders’ Cup winner Unrivaled Belle retired after Ogden Phipps injury, Bill Mott sceptical
Unrivaled Belle, the five year old grey mare and the Breeders’ Cup winner got herself involved in an unfortunate accident on 18 June when she reared backwards in the paddock and broke her withers.
It all happened when she was getting ready to be saddled before the Grade One Ogden Phipps Handicap, which was won by Awesome Maria.
Unrivalled Belle was by Unbridled’s Song, and, Queenie Belle. Sadly, she retired after sustaining a pre-race injury. She had an emphatic career and had a reputation of a giant slayer. She earned that when she beat the mighty five year old mare and 2009 Horse of The Year, Rachel Alexandra, in the Troienne Stakes.
Unrivaled Belle did it again when she went on to beat another massive rival in the shape of Blind Luck to claim the Grade One Breeder’s Cup Ladies Classic in 2010.
Trainer Bill Mott said that he had a gut feeling that she has done something bad to herself by falling awkwardly on her rear end and the suspicion was that she had broken her withers while doing so.
Later, X-rays confirmed that the injury she sustained had resulted in broken withers. There are horses that can sustain such an injury and are able to recover from it and get back into racing but Unrivaled Belle’s age factor was decisive. With less than six months to go in the year, it doesn’t give her enough time to recover from it.
The decision was made there and then that Unrivaled Belle will be retired at year’s end. Bill Mott said if she was a gelding, you would expect her to shake off the injury in six odd months and make a comeback, but that was not the case.
Unrivaled Bride also had a reputation of being a little difficult in the paddock and hard to control before races. Trainer, Bill Mott, in a remorseful way stated that if the saddles had been there and the arrangements had been made in a different way, he could have led Unrivaled Belle out of the paddock to the track.
The future holds plenty of rest for the five year old grey mare. She will rest for several weeks and will be allowed to heal from her injuries. Afterwards, she will be transferred to the farm of co-owner, Peter Vegso, before being bred.
A curtain closer in the most unfortunate of ways on a very talented horse, who proved her mettle when she won the Breeders’ Cup, and, for only that reason, Unrivaled Belle, was brought back this year because the Breeders’ Cup this year was also going to be held at Churchill downs, that’s where she won it the last time.
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