Group 1 Winner Sibelius Retired

Sibelius (Not This Time–Fiery Pulpit, by Pulpit), winner of the 2023 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, has been retired from racing after suffering a tendon injury, trainer Jerry O'Dwyer confirmed the news first reported by Blood-Horse Tuesday.

“He is a 6-year-old and he tore a tendon in a regular, routine gallop,” O'Dwyer said. “He can come back 100% from it, but that will be a seven or eight month or a year process. He has done so much for us already, we are not going to take a chance of him overexerting himself again.”

Racing for Delia Nash and Jun Park, the hard-knocking gelding became a fan favorite when he just got his nose in front on the line in the Golden Shaheen. He also recorded back-to-back wins in the GIII Mr. Prospector Stakes in 2022 and 2023.

“He is just a superstar horse to have around,” O'Dwyer said. “He is a complete ham. He loves the attention. He has taken us half-way across the world to Dubai, twice. One time, with an unbelievable victory and the last time with another unbelievable experience of just being out there and competing against some of the best horses in the world.”

On the board in 16 of 27 starts, Sibelius won nine times–including six black-type events–and earned $1,803,011.

“That is not fully decided yet,” O'Dwyer said with a chuckle when asked what the plans are for the gelding's future. “It's going to be between me and the owners, basically. He is in Kentucky right now at Delia Nash's farm. Delia and Jun have been absolutely wonderful people for me and for that horse. They have let me do the right thing by the horse every step of the way. There was never any question, when the time came, that he would be retired in as best order as we can.”

O'Dwyer does have hopes for second career for his star gelding.

“My wife, Alison, does a lot of the Retired Racehorse Project stuff, so she is probably going to take him to the Thoroughbred Makeover in the next couple of years, once he's back healthy and well,” the trainer said. “We would like to do that with him. He loves the attention and he loves a job to do. Once he is happy and has a job that he wants to do, he will continue to do a job. When he doesn't want to do a job anymore, he will live out his days at the owner's farm in Kentucky. As we did with him racing, we are going to let him do all the talking. It's all about him and what he wants to do.”