NEW YORK (AP) - The trainer for 2009 Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird says the colt has been retired from racing.
Tim Ritchey, who replaced Tim Ice earlier this year, confirmed the retirement Thursday.
After winning the Belmont, Summer Bird went on to win the Travers and the Jockey Club Gold Cup and was voted the Eclipse Award winner as the champion 3-year-old male.
Summer Bird has been recuperating from surgery at Oaklawn Park, and most recently at Ritchey's home base at Delaware Park.
Summer Bird also finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby and fourth behind Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic, which turned out to be his last race.
The colt retires with four wins in nine starts and earnings of $2,323,040 for owners K.K. and Vilasini Jayaraman.
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