The Breeders’ Cup dirt mile shocker Dakota Phone retires from racing due to the injury he sustained last spring
Dakota Phone, famous for his Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt mile shocker on 6 November, 2010, at Churchill Downs, has been retired because of the injury he sustained in spring and connections decided that retirement was inevitable and injury will not help the
six-year-old bay gelding make a comeback.
The son of Zavata turned some serious heads when he pulled off an unbelievable win in the Breeders’ Cup dirt mile.
The long shot entered the race with the odds of 37 to 1 to win the race. Trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer, would not have dreamt in his wildest of dreams that Dakota Phone will bring home a Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup race, and boy he did.
Among the 12 horse field, Dakota Phone jumped to 10th place, with his head down and neck stretched. The then five-year-old horse composed himself and rushed past his rivals to gain the 3rd spot in no time.
A top 3 finish looked realistic before the turn but who knew that Dakota Phone was going to transform in to a mean racing machine.
After the turn, entering in to the mid stretch, the John Carver owned bay horse started eating up the distance between him and the leaders, Cool Cool Line and Morning Line.
Dakota Phone challenged the leaders like never before and Cool Cool Man became the first victim of the two as Dakota Phone left him behind to tackle Morning Line.
They dueled through the closing stages but on that day Dakota Phone was too good for anybody and defeated Morning Line by a head.
He hit the wire in 1 minute 35.29 seconds, in the 1 mile fast event.
Dakota Phone, before the Breeders’ Cup, had almost run all the races on synthetic surfaces and on turf. He had two lifetime starts on dirt, which did not determine anything as he finished seventh in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap.
Prior to the Breeders’ Cup success, Dakota Phone answered the call at Del Mar, where he came back from the last position to nail the $200,000 Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on 31 July. The win ended the bay gelding's 16-race losing streak.
The 1 mile ½ a furlong fast track drew 9 horses to contest on the Poly Track, a track familiar to Dakota Phone where he won his first level allowance race at the Del Mar track, his first career win to be exact.
Dakota Phone won six of thirty five starts with five second and seven third position finishes. He ended his career with an estimated earnings of $1,282,210.
According to trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer, Dakota Phone is at Rancho Paseana training center, near Del Mar.
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