Big Brown has been retired. The dual Classic winner worked on the grass in the company of stablemate, Kip Deville at Aqueduct (New York) on Monday. The pair did 1200 metres in 1 12.8 and the connections were immensely pleased. Minutes after the workout, it was found that Big Brown had grabbed a quarter on the inside of the right front foot.

Michael Iavarone, main parter in the IAEH Stables, made a statement. “Big Brown has been retired. He not only tore the bulb off his foot but half the foot was torn off. We did everything we could to get to the Breeders’ Cup. It’s devastating. What makes it even worse is that he worked great.”

Big Brown, a Boundary colt and a grandson of Danzig, won seven races from eight starts. He earned $3,614,500. He will stand at the Three Chimneys Farm for the 2009 breeding season.

Another retirement, already reported in this column, was made official today. In Paris, Zarakava’s retirement was announced. The Zamindar filly won all her seven starts and taught a pacing lesson to her male counterparts in Longchamp’s Arc de Triomphe on October 5.

Trainer Alain Royer Dupre said with a tinge of emotion. “As a trainer, her departure makes me sad. She had such acceleration. She was special. With all the problems in the Arc, she won very easily. She is a great prospect as a broodmare.”

Zarkava joins Darjina, another Aga Khan-owned filly, in retirement. Darjina, second in the Sun Chariot at Newmarket on October 4, played the bridesmaid role in a Group I for the sixth time this year.

Wagering on thoroughbred racing in America is down 9.8% in the third quarter of 2008 compared to the corresponding period last year. Purses are down 2.7%.

Alex Waldrop, President of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said, “our industry’s difficult year continued during the summer as a harsh economy and other factors continued to negatively impact business.”

Jockey Pat Valenzuela, banned from California for substance abuse, now plies his trade in other jurisdictions. Jockey Valenzuela won the 4,000th winner of his career in an allowance race at Louisiana Downs. Burst Of Light was the name of the horse Valenzuela rode. Valenzuela has won the Derby and the Preakness and has seven wins in the BC races.

Newmarket has a two-day high profile meeting coming weekend. On Saturday, the Emirates Champion Stakes will be run. Heading the field is New Approach, the Epsom Derby hero and recent winner of the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, and trainer Jim Bolger has been making bullish noises about his colt’s chances. Conditions are dry at Newmarket and the forecast is for ideal racing weather.

Khalid Abdullah will send two fillies to the BC races at Santa Anita. Visit, from Sir Michael Stoute’s barn, will make the trip. Visit was third to Halfway To Heaven in the Sun Chariot. Proviso, a leading light as a freshman in 2007, has not delivered on that promise as a sophomore. She was seventh in the Prix de l’Opera on Arc day at Longchamp.

Big Brown will not be in the BC Classic but Casino Drive stormed into calculations with a decisive score in a Santa Anita allowance event on Sunday. The Mineshaft colt, winner of the Peter Pan in May, missed the Belmont Stakes. Sunday’s race was used as a stepping stone to a bid in the BC Classic.

Nobutaka Tada, racing manager for owner, Hidetoshi Yamamoto, was pleased. “He was ready to run which we knew. He is not at the top of his game yet. We hope that this race will help him improve.”

Jockey Victor Espinoza rode Casino Drive in the 1700-metre race. The winning margin was three parts of a length on the Pro-Ride surface. Espionosa lavished praise on his mount. “I wanted him to have a good race but not too much this close to the BC. He was cruising in the lane.”

Casino Drive is half brother to Jazil, winner of the 2006 Belmont Stakes, and Rags To Riches, the champion filly who won the Belmont Stakes in 2007.

Jockey John Velasquez was in a spill on the opening day of the autumn Keeneland meeting. He resumed riding on Saturday. Jockey Velasquez clicked with two winners. Baroness Thatcher, relishing a class drop, made it all in an allowance contest.

Alwajeeha, in the hands of Velasquez, tracked the leader in the Q E II Challenge Cup (Grade I turf) and drew away in the lane. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained filly was a 11-1 chance.

A thankful Velasquez said, “I’m blessed that nothing really serious happened to me. Thanks to Keeneland and everybody at the hospital. They took good care of me.”

In Saturday’s Hawthorne Derby, the half money favorite, Adriano could do no better than take fourth. Strait of Mewsina, ridden by E T Baird, came from behind to land the prize in the $250,000 Grade III turf race. The winner was a 19-1 chance.

In Australia, the Kiwis won a valuable prize at week’s end. Alamosa, rallying off the pace, was 11-deep and finished in the center of the track in the Tooray, a Group I race, at Caulfield. The race was over 1600 metres. Jockey Craig Newitt was aboard.
Wellfield Stables own Alamosa. The boss of Wellfield, Bill Gleeson described his feelings. “It is so important for Kiwi breeders to have an Aussie Group I winner standing over there. We have one now. What he does hence forth is icing on the cake.”

 Three runners from the Aidan O’Brien stable have arrived in Australia. It was a 36-hour trip. They are in Australia to race in the Melbourne Cup. John Murtagh rides Septimus. Colm O’Donoghue will be on Honolulu who won the Princess Alexandra at Royal Ascot. The third O’Brien trainee is Alessandra Volta.

In Ireland, the season is coming to an end. Jockey Pat Smullen had two wins at Naas on Sunday and leads the pack with 76 winners. William Hill make jockey Smullen, a 6-4 proposition. The boyish  Fran Berry, looking for his first title, has 74. John Murtagh is at 73 and serving a seven day suspension. Berry, despite the two-win deficit, is the 11-8 favorite. Murtagh has drifted to 5-2.

Of interest to fans in India, here are the numbers of Irish riders who come to India. Chris Hayes has 41 winners from 533 rides. Mick Kinane, winner of the 2008 Indian Derby with Hotstepper, has 39 wins from 273 rides. Colm O’Donoghue’s number is 19 from 275 trips to the gate. Niall McCullagh has 13 winners from 346 rides. Danny Grant has 10 from 279 opportunities.

Jockey Richard Hughes rode three winners at Windsor on Monday. Windsor had an afternoon meeting.

Hughes had the winner in the first race. Shooting Party, at 18-1 and trained by Richard Hannon, came away victorious. In the second race, Hughes connected with another Hannon trainee, Bold Tie at 8-1. The fifth race gave Hughes his third winner. Opera Prince, trained by S Kirk, came through at 10-1. A stake of one pound on these three winners would have yielded 1,881 pounds.

At the moment, jockey Hughes occupies second place in the British jockey rankings with 112 winners. Ryan Moore is the runaway leader. Hughes is ahead of Neil Callan and Jamie Spencer. Seb Sanders, now sidelined with injury, stands at 89.

I spoke to Hughes. “I had a good day at Windsor,” he said.

“I am doing well now. Will I catch Ryan Moore? Absolutely not.”

Hughes made a reference to Autonomy. “There was poor weather in Bombay. It would have been a very difficult helicopter ride to Pune.”

Autonomy did not race after suffering an injury.

“I am not going to Tokyo or Hong Kong. Not likely. No specific winter plans. “

“I am waiting for an offer to go to India,” Hughes quipped.

Jockey Hughes has been riding with tremendous confidence and there are many more winners for him in the coming weeks.