2009 Dubai World Cup champ Well Armed retired

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Versailles, KY (Sports Network) - Well Armed, 2009 Dubai World Cup winner, has been taken out of training and will be retired. The eight-year-old gelding had been under the care of trainer Eoin Harty.

"Well Armed has been training like a three-year-old. He is the epitome of a racehorse and dearly loves his task," said Harty. "He is a barn favorite and he will be dearly missed."

Late last year Well Armed was transferred to the WinStar Farm Training Center to continue his recovery from injury. Owned by Bill Casner, the decision to retire him came after a half-mile workout last month at Hollywood Park when he came up with a small amount of filling in a tendon.

"Well Armed certainly occupies a special place in my heart," said Casner. "He was a horse that had true grit. He chipped a knee and fractured a hip as a three-year-old, yet he came back to win the richest race in the world by an unimaginable margin. He had the desire and will to overcome adversity."

Well Armed won the 2009 Dubai World Cup by 14-lengths over Gloria de Campeao in a time of 2:01.01 for the 1 1/4 miles. Gloria de Campeao came back to win last year's $10 million World Cup.

The gelding finishes his career with $5,171,009 from 23 starts and six wins. He had victories in the 2008 San Antonio, San Diego and Goodwood Stakes. He also had a second-place result in the 2008 Pacific Classic and he was third in the 2008 Dubai World Cup.

Well Armed is a son of two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow and will reside at his owner's Texas ranch.