Leading Minnesota-Bred Mr. Jagermeister Retired

Kristin Boice and Valorie Lund's Mr. Jagermeister , the all-time leading Minnesota-bred money earning Thoroughbred, was retired Feb. 5 following a workout at Tampa Bay Downs in which he was preparing for next week's Pelican Stakes. The 7-year-old, a homebred for Boice, returned to the barn following the workout when it was discovered that he had suffered a condylar fracture in his left front.

"We breezed him and everything went fine," said Lund, who trains Mr. Jagermeister. "He came back off. At first we thought it was his foot."

But the veteran trainer quickly knew it was something more and called for an X-ray. It was then the fracture was determined.

A younger horse might return from such a setback but Lund knew it was time for Mr. Jagermeister to retire.

"I'm sorry to see him go. He was such a joy," she said. Plans are in the making for a potential career in the breeding shed.

Mr. Jagermeister returned to his barn in Ocala, Fla., where Lund keeps a string of 30.

"He was wanting to play in the aisle," she said. "He's feeling fine."

Mr. Jagermeister exploded onto the scene in the summer of 2017 when as a 2-year-old he broke his maiden at Canterbury Park at first asking by 11 1/2 lengths. That same season he drew off by 15 1/2 lengths in the Northern Lights Futurity, the premiere race for Minnesota-bred 2-year-olds

His second start was a runner-up finish in a Prairie Meadows stakes race followed by the easiest 15 1/2 length win in the Northern Lights Futurity, the premier race for Minnesota-bred 2-year-olds.

While he is all-time for state-breds in earnings, he is seventh overall in money earned racing at Canterbury. The son of grade 2 winner Atta Boy Roy  , who Lund also trained, made much of his $700,839 the hard way. 

"He always met tough horses," Lund said. "He was really an astounding racehorse."

A five-time black-type winner, Mr. Jagermeister also won the 2018 Wally's Choice Minnesota Classic Championship Stakes, 2019 Chesapeake Stakes at Colonial Downs, 2020 Phoenix Gold Cup Handicap at Turf Paradise, and 2021 10,000 Lakes Stakes at Canterbury. He also finished second twice to eventual sprint champions at Oaklawn Park in the 2018 Bachelor Stakes behind Mitole   and in the 2020 Hot Springs Stakes behind Whitmore .

Mr. Jagermeister ended his 37-race career with a seven-length victory Jan. 9 in an allowance optional claimer at Tampa, bringing his record to 13-6-4.

From a career that will lead to a Canterbury Hall of Fame induction, Lund recalled the 2018 Minnesota Derby, which Mr. Jagermeister won by 10 lengths in 1:40.37, just :0.17 off the track record established in 1985.

"We wanted to keep him off the rail. He won by so far. Leandro (Goncalves) was standing up and cruising in," Lund said. "Four off the rail all the way around. Geared down."

Family was planning to come to Tampa for the Pelican Stakes. They will still visit and Lund hopes she can enter a maiden 3-year-old she has high hopes for.

"They will still come," Lund said. "We will party but instead it will be a retirement party."