Social Inclusion, Third in Preakness, Retired

Rontos Racing Stable's Social Inclusion has been retired, according to owner Ron Sanchez. Stud plans are pending for the Pioneerof the Nile   colt, who was graded stakes-placed on three occasions in 2014, including that year's Preakness Stakes (gr. I).

Social Inclusion, bred in Kentucky by Robert Tillyer, Martin Keogh, and Dr. Chet Blackey out of the Saint Ballado mare Saint Bernadette, was a $60,000 purchase by Rontos Racing at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale when consigned by Betz Thoroughbreds.

The high-strung bay burst onto the Kentucky Derby trail in a March allowance race at Gulfstream Park, when he romped by 10 lengths over Remsen Stakes (gr. II) winner Honor Code   in 1:40.97 for 1 1/16 miles, bettering the track record of 1:41 set by Devil's Cave less than a month earlier.

Though quite the hype horse on the Triple Crown trail, Social Inclusion never broke through at the graded level. He was third in the Twinspires.com Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I), and in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), and in the Woody Stephens (gr. II)—running in the latter race after his connections made an 11th-hour decision not to start in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I).

He raced without Lasix in the William Hill Haskell Invitational (gr. I), but finished seventh for trainer Manuel J. Azpurua, who conditioned him through his first six starts.

Following the Haskell, Social Inclusion was rested to heal from a tendon injury. He was also moved to the barn of Chad Brown, for whom he ran second and fourth in allowance company at Gulfstream in April and at Belmont Park in June.

In the final start of his career, with Juan Carlos Guerrero as the trainer of record, Social Inclusion won an Aug. 29, 1 1/16-mile allowance race worth $89,000 by 11 3/4 lengths at Parx Racing.

Sanchez announced his retirement Dec. 9 via his @StableRontos Twitter account, saying, "Thanks for the good memories big boy!"