As one of the owners of Yankee Rose penned a tribute to the dual Group I winner, connections were hoping the injury-plagued mare could fetch more than $2 million at sale.
Racenet on Tuesday revealed that retirement and the breeding barn was a serious option for Yankee Rose after the mare pulled up lame from her ninth on resuming in the Group I Memsie Stakes.
She had a bruised heel and then another foot problem which meant owners were keen to sell the dual Group I winner rather than run in Saturday's Makybe Diva Stakes.
There was a twist with Darby Racing revealing the mare had not officially been retired and there was a chance she could race again this preparation.
However the writing could be on the wall and Queensland truck driver Cliff Beckmann, who owns a five percent share in Yankee Rose, paid tribute to her on Facebook.
"Our Yankee girl has had such an amazing racing career," Beckmann wrote.
"It has been a great journey to be part of such a wonderful horse."
Connections are hoping the mare, who won the Group I ATC Sires' Produce Stakes and the Group I Spring Champion Stakes, could fetch over $2 million.
"It is hard to put a price on a mare of this quality, you would expect $2 million plus," Darby Racing founder Scott Darby told RadioTab Australia.
