By DRF.com
ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 19, 2023) — Lieutenant Dan, 2021 California-bred Horse of the Year and a six-time stakes winner who was second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in 2021, was recently retired and sent to the central California ranch of owner-breeder Nick Alexander.
“He had an ankle that was causing problems,” Alexander said. “We didn’t want to push it.”
Lieutenant Dan, a 7-year-old gelding by Grazen, won 9 of 18 starts and earned $923,740. All six of the stakes wins were achieved in sprints in Southern California, including three stakes for statebreds in 2019 and 2020.
Trained by Steve Miyadi, Lieutenant Dan had his best year in 2021, winning three of four starts in turf sprints, including consecutive stakes in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar and the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at Santa Anita.
Lieutenant Dan was second by 1 1/4 lengths to Golden Pal in the BC Turf Sprint at five furlongs in 2021. He won his final start in the Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar in 2022, his only appearance that year.
Lieutenant Dan was taken out of consideration for the 2022 BC Turf Sprint in early fall last year and did not race this year.
Alexander said over the weekend that Lieutenant Dan could be retired to Old Friends in Kentucky, but that a decision had not been finalized.
“He’s got a nice grass paddock,” Alexander said. “I have to decide if I’ll send him.”