Trot Insider has learned that 2012 O'Brien Award winner Betterthancheddar has been retired following an injury.

The five-year-old son of Bettors Delight raced in the Ben Franklin Final on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs where according to trainer and co-owner Casie Coleman the pacer sustained an injury to his left front suspensory at some point during an eighth-place finish.

"We still don't know exactly what happened," Coleman told harnessracing.com. "I wasn't real happy with the trip, so I was waiting for the horse at the barn. Then he doesn't come back, he doesn't come back, and I see my crew with the horse on the track, and he's lame, he's real lame.

"After the race is over, Georgie [driver George Brennan] is pulling him up and he said he gave him a couple of big head nods, and so he got off the bike," said Coleman.

Coleman immediately called Pennsylvania's esteemed New Bolton Vet Clinic and rushed the horse there.

"When I saw him I honestly thought he broke something and we might have to put him down," continued Coleman. "I called Dr. Mike Ross at New Bolton at 11 at night and left him a voice message that we were shipping him there immediately. We gave him as much painkillers as we could and put him in a sling and had the groom ride with him, and he got there about 3 in the morning."

While Betterthancheddar didn't break anything he did tear a suspensory and the decision was made to retire the stallion.

"The vet said he's really doing good and that with time, he can race again," noted Coleman. "But I've just decided we're going to stand him at stud. To go to Australia or New Zealand he needs to be in quarantine in Kentucky in mid-September, so that gives me 3 1/2 months to get him healed up. He's got great conformation."

Owned by Coleman's West Wins Stable along with Steve Calhoun, Betterthancheddar retires with 19 wins in 33 starts and $1.6 million in career earnings. He won the Cane, Breeders Crown, Windy City and American National at three and then followed up at four with an O'Brien Award-winning campaign with two world records and wins in the Ben Franklin (world-record time), Bobby Quillen Memorial (world-record time) and Des Smith.