Pioneerof the Nile retired with leg injury

Associated Press Sports

ARCADIA, California (AP) -Kentucky Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile was retired on Thursday with a soft-tissue injury in his left front leg.

Trainer Bob Baffert discovered the injury on Sunday at Santa Anita Racecourse, where the 3-year-old was stabled.

A scan determined the severity of the injury and Baffert said there was a chance the horse could return to the track in 6-8 months, but it wasn't worth the risk.

Pioneer of the Nile, owned by Ahmed Zayat, became one of the Derby favorites by winning four straight buildup races in California.

The colt went off as the third choice in the Kentucky Derby in May behind Friesan Fire and Dunkirk and led briefly at the top of the straight before being overtaken by longshot Mine That Bird. He held on for second, edging Musket Man by a nose.


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