Grade 1 winner Perfect Drift, who won eight stakes races and amassed $4,714,213 in purse earnings in eight seasons, was retired on Monday.

Trainer Richard Mandella, who took over conditioning responsibilities of Perfect Drift this year, said the decision was made after it became clear the nine-year-old gelding was not going to regain his best form.

Perfect Drift finished third in the Windy Sands Handicap on September 1 at Del Mar in his final start for owner-breeder Dr. William A. Reed’s Stonecrest Farm. He finished off the board in each of his other three races this season, including a fourth-place finish in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1) on May 26 at Hollywood Park.

“We had fun while we had him, but he didn’t quite get over the hump [trying to reach his best form],” Mandella said. “We didn’t think we should push him. He leaves here healthy and in good shape.”

Murray Johnson trained Perfect Drift during his first seven seasons.

Perfect Drift won three of eight starts as a three-year-old in 2002, including the Lane’s End Spiral Stakes (G2) and the Indiana Derby (G3), and finished third in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

In 2003, Perfect Drift won the Stephen Foster (G1), Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2), Washington Park (G2), and Kentucky Cup Classic (G2) Handicaps.

Perfect Drift is out of stakes winner Nice Gal, by Naskra.