Lexie Lou Officially Retired

Toronto icon and 2014 Canadian Horse of the Year Lexie Lou has officially been retired from racing, according to trainer Mark Casse.

"She has run some really big races this year, like in the Dance Smartly where she got passed and came back," Casse said. "But she is starting to show her age a bit and when she runs, she puts everything in. We don't want to run just to run."

The 5-year-old daughter of Sligo Bay  —Oneexcessivenite, by In Excess has been entered in the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, which begins Nov. 8 and runs through Nov. 21.

Lexie Lou is owned by Gary Barber, who bought her privately in the spring of 2014 from owner and trainer John Ross. Barber sent her to Casse, who won his first Queen's Plate Stakes with the filly three months later. 

"Gary was the one who really pushed to buy her," Casse said. "I thought she was a nice filly, but he kept telling me her numbers are good and that she should get better on the grass. She also had been running in blinkers, which we took off and got her to relax."

After the Queen's Plate, Lexie Lou made 10 of her next 12 starts on the grass, including wins in the Wonder Where Stakes and the Autumn Miss Stakes (gr. IIIT). She also finished second to California Chrome   in the Hollywood Derby (gr. IT). Her performances earned her Sovereign Awards as Horse of the Year, champion 3-year-old filly, and champion grass mare.

With stakes wins in the Dance Smartly (Can-IIT), Nassau Stakes (Can-IIT), and the Victoriana Stakes this year, she is the frontrunner to be named champion grass mare again. She has a 10-4-4 record in 24 starts and earnings of $1,763,538.

"The Queen's Plate really takes it out of a lot to runners but with Lexie Lou, she just got better," Casse said. "If she passes on her determination, she'll be a great mare."