Trot Insider has learned that two-time O'Brien Award winning trotting mare Frenchfrysnvinegar has been retired from racing.
Trainer Jeff Gillis confirmed the news on Sunday in an interview with The Red Mile's Gabe Prewitt.
"She sustained an injury and she's going to be a broodmare now," said Gillis. "She was very good to us."
Trained by Gillis for former trainer and current owner David Smith of Eagle Lake, Ont., the eight-year-old homebred daughter of Angus Hall-Gugus retires as a 33-time winner who stashed away more than $1.11 million in her long career.
Frenchfrysnvinegar competed mostly on the WEG circuit against aged trotting horses, winning multiple Preferred events and even finishing second in an Open Trot in 2011 to eventual Horse of the Year San Pail. That year was the breakout for Frenchfrysnvinegar, culminating with an effort in the 2011 Breeders Crown Older Mare Trot that solidified her place among the sport's best. Parked every step from the 10-hole, regular driver Jody Jamieson patiently tracked down pacesetter Action Broadway to score the half-length victory at Woodbine Racetrack.
As good as Frenchfrysnvinegar was in 2011 at age six, she was just as good if not better at age seven. She lowered her mark to 1:52 in the Allerage Mare Trot at The Red Mile and also captured the Masters Series Final at Georgian Downs in a Canadian record time of 1:52.3 as well as the Miss Versatility Final at the Delaware County Fair in 1:54. Despite falling just short in the 2012 Breeders Crown, the year's efforts gave Frenchfrysnvinegar older trotting mare of the year honours on both sides of the border.