The 2004 2-year-old filly champion, Sweet Catomine, whose fifth-place finish as the favorite in the April 9 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) was followed by a controversy over her physical condition, has been retired.

“After the Santa Anita Derby, I had Sweet Catomine evaluated when she was in the barn of John Shirreffs,” owner and breeder Marty Wygod told The Blood-Horse Wednesday. “Based on what the veterinarian said, I have decided to retire her and breed her to A.P. Indy. I wanted to retire her while she was sound. She will be shipped to Kentucky in the next two days and will be at Mill Ridge Farm.”

Wygod would not provide any details on what aspect of the veterinary inspection led to his decision to retire his prized Storm Cat filly. She was transferred from trainer Julio Canani to Shirreffs after the Santa Anita Derby, in which she was beaten five lengths by long shot Buzzards Bay. It was the first time in seven career starts Sweet Catomine had finished worse than second.

After the race, Wygod said he had considered scratching Sweet Catomine from the Santa Anita Derby because she had bled in her final workout and was in season. Wygod also said he told Santa Anita officials the filly might be scratched. Five days before the race, Sweet Catomine was shipped to the Alamo Pintado equine medical clinic several hours north of the Los Angeles area. She was treated in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber at the clinic