Multiple Grade 1 winner Commentator, an 8-year old gelding who finished third in the Whitney Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, has been retired from horse racing picks.

A New York-bred son of Distorted Humor, Commentator won 14 of 24 lifetime starts and bankrolled $2,049,845 in purse earnings.

He was only the third state-bred to reach $2-million in career earnings, joining 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Funny Cide and Say Florida Sandy.

The decision was made in the hours following the Whitney, after a meeting between Racing Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito and Commentator's owners, Tracy and Carol Farmer.

Commentator will remain with Zito at the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga Springs, New York, for three weeks before going to the Farmer's Shadow lawn Farm in Midway, Kentucky.

"Then they'll make a decision of where to send him. There are plenty of options," Zito said. "Physically, there's nothing wrong with him, other than the age.

Considering what he's going to have to do, he has to run back in those big races, the Grade 1 races; we felt this was the best thing to do."

Zito said he would welcome the chance to give Commentator a public sendoff at Saratoga, and the New York Racing Association is on board as well.

"We'd like to do something nice before the meet ends," NYRA Executive Vice President Hal Handel said.

"Obviously, he's been a star here, and I think he's a very sentimental favorite for a lot of people. It would be a nice way to wrap up his career to have him honored here. We'll figure something out."

Commentator was attempting on Saturday to match five-time Horse of the Year Kelso as the oldest winner of the Whitney and join Kelso and Discovery, both Hall of Famers, as the only horses to win the race three times. Commentator won the Whitney in 2005 and ‘08.

"He has nothing left to prove," Zito said. "He came back and ran gallantly. It was wonderful to see him come back to the barn perfect. He's eight years old and there's nothing to do. You know his record; it's fantastic. He won over $2-million the hard way."

In addition to 14 wins, Commentator had one second-place finish and four thirds. He won four of seven races at Saratoga.

In addition to the Whitney, Commentator won the Richter Scale Sprint Handicap (G2) and the Massachusetts Handicap and finished second in the Metropolitan Handicap in 2008.

Commentator made his career debut at Saratoga with a 10 1/2-length win on August 9, 2004, and through the years he won eight stakes.

"He's as gallant as can be," Zito said. "He's a real treasure. When he was on, he was as good as any horse in America. I think the Mass Cap proved that. I think the Whitney proved that. He was as good as can be."

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