Union Rags Injured - Out For 2012

State of the Union - Belmont winner Union Rags will miss the rest of 2012 through injury

Regular readers will know I’m a big fan of leading American three-year-old Union Rags, winner of the 2012 Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the US Triple Crown.

Union Rags had enjoyed a brilliant two-year-old campaign winning all his races bar his last in which he went down by the shortest of distances to Hansen at the Breeder’s Cup; but he’d somewhat disappointed as a three-year-old.

An easy win in the Fountain of Youth at the start of the year picked up where he left off but then arguably unlucky runs in the Florida Derby (3rd) and the Kentucky Derby (a fast-finishing 7th) left some wondering whether he really was as good as we had all thought.

He made the most of I’ll Have Another’s late defection from the Belmont though by getting up late down the rail under a majestic Johnny Velasquez ride to take his prize money total to just under $1.8million.

Unfortunately though the colt has suffered a tendon injury which although not career-threatening is season-ending and it’s been announced he won’t run again in 2012.

Whether he will actually run again though remains to be seen, because retiring to stud – much like I’ll Have Another (recently sold to farm in Japan for $10million) – is of course an option.

Owner Phyllis Wyeth certainly won’t take any risks with the horse as she has quite an affinity with him having bought him back after selling him following a dream she had.

More on the injury is expected imminently, but it’s a real shame we won’t see him again this season, I had been particularly looking forward to a potential Breeder’s Cup run. His next target had been the $1million Haskell Invitational at the end of the month for which his preparation had been going well.

It just goes to show how fragile race horses can be though, especially when you consider that minor injuries have now robbed us of seeing the winners of all three legs of this year’s Triple Crown running again in 2012.

Hopefully it won’t be the last we see of Union Rags but if it is he’s enjoyed a hell of a career in the short time he’s been racing and become a firm favourite with me in the process.

You can relive Union Rags’ finest hour – his Belmont win – in the video below: