Mineshaft, the leading handicap horse in the country, was retired Friday due to what trainer Neil Howard said was a small chip in his right front ankle.

“This morning Dr. Foster Northrop, Mineshaft’s vet, his owner, Mr. William Farish, and I had a discussion and made the decision to retire Mineshaft due to a minor problem in his ankle that we have been managing,” said Howard. “A small, nondisplaced chip was found after the Suburban, and we monitored the situation closely