Reports indicate that Royalty For Life, who one year ago won the prestigious Hambletonian in its return to the heat format, has been retired.
According to harnessracing.com, veterinarians at Cornell University Equine Hospital found a significant tear of a hind suspensory just prior to the July 26 eliminations for the John Cashman Jr. Memorial.
"X-rays were taken and they determined that there was a greater than 50 percent tear of a hind suspensory, so he is not going to race again,” said co-owner Paul Fontaine.
Named 2013's Three-Year-Old Colt Trotter of the Year in the U.S., this is the second setback in the last 10 months for the trotter. Before the Breeders Crown Final in October, bone chips were discovered in one of Royalty For Life's knees prompting him to be scratched from that stakes event and subsequently sidelined for the season.
"This is two significant injuries in a row, after last fall when we had to scratch him from the Breeders Crown because of a bone chip in a knee,” said Fontaine. "That was an unfortunate injury that was operated on. We wintered him and brought him back easy and he was coming back terrific."
Owned by Fontaine with Alfred Ross of South Dartmouth, Mass., Raymond Campbell Jr. of Belchertown, Mass. and trained by George Ducharme, Royalty For Life (RC Royalty - Bourbon N Grits) retires with a summary of 14-5-2 in 30 lifetime starts with a speed badge of 1:51.3 taken in a qualifier.
After overcoming an outside post position to win the fastest of three $70,000 elimination heats earlier in the day, Royalty For Life returned to take the final of the 88th edition of Hambletonian in 1:52.1 in 2013.
"He will stay with me [at Vernon Downs] until he heals up enough and then we'll make a plan,” said Ducharme. "He'll have stall rest under my watch, rather than at some farm where he tears himself up because he can't go out. He's fine and not in any pain. The leg looks pretty good. We've been hand-walking him every day and now waiting for the owners to decide what the next move is.”
"We're going to see what he needs in terms of treatment and stall rest, and then shift gears and determine what is best for his future in terms of breeding and standing at stud.”