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This is the story of two retirements, one coming at the end of a rich, deeply satisfying career, the other not so much.Unusual Heat, 26, has been pensioned, ending a 19-year stallion career that never ceased to amaze. Year after year, the Unusual Heats would come rolling down the line, winning races large and small in such numbers as to impress even the most casual students of the game.Do not look for the name of Unusual Heat to be whispered in the mists of Kentuckys breeding lore, however. Although he was bred in the bluegrass, Unusual Heat did his stallion deeds in California, and Californias bloodstock history is viewed more with curious condescension than respect, despite the accomplishments of Hall of Famers and champions like Swaps, Tiznow, Native Diver, Tiznow, Ancient Title, Best Pal, and Bertrando.Scores of Unusual Heats have run riot through the regional stakes races offered by a generous California program. But more than that, his best horses were very good wherever they ran. Acclamation was the Eclipse Award champion older male of 2011. The Usual Q. T. was a Grade 1 winner who almost took a Breeders Cup Mile. Tucked Away, Lethal Heat, Unusual Suspect, Burns, Gervinho, Bettys Bambino, Golden Doc A, Pretty Unusual, Lennyfromalibu -- none of them needed the shelter of a California-bred stakes race to bring home a major prize.Unusual Heat is a son of Nureyev who was first trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld and then migrated to California, where he joined the Richard Mandella stable. Barry Abrams claimed him as a 6-year-old for $80,000 for a partnership that included the trainer, his brother David Abrams, and breeder Madeline Auerbach. Not long after that, Unusual Heat was retired with a bowed tendon.I claimed him hoping to get a few races out of him and then to be a stallion, Barry Abrams said. I didnt know much about it then, but I did know that Nureyev was a great stallion.Unusual Heats first foals hit the ground in 1999.The biggest thing he gave them was longevity, Abrams said. Theyd win first time out as 2-year-olds and still be around four, five, six years later. And the more they ran, the better they got. They may have been running as a $20,000 maiden as a 3-year-old, then as a 4-year-old, theyd be an allowance or a stakes horse.Abrams was right. A scan of Unusual Heats progeny reveals hard knockers like Tropical Heat (86 starts), Steamy Story (78 starts), Raise the Heat (74 starts), and at least 30 others with 40 or more starts.Exaggerator, a 3-year-old son of Curlin, made 15 starts. He also earned $3.5 million, which makes him a very efficient moneymaking machine, and by some measures, that is the point of the exercise. Now he has been retired, happy and healthy, to WinStar Farm in Kentucky to begin a stallion career next year before hes even a fully matured Thoroughbred.Racing fans are rightfully miffed at yet another example of the breeding tail wagging the racing dog. Exaggerators quality as a Thoroughbred athlete was borne out by victories in the 2016 Santa Anita Derby, Preakness, and Haskell Invitational and a second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. His record was an odd mix of rousing scores on rainy afternoons combined with somnolent wanderings through important engagements in the Belmont, Travers, and, finally, the Pennsylvania Derby.The horse owed us nothing, said trainer Keith Desormeaux, who also owned a minority interest in Exaggerator. But for him to get beat in his last two races was disappointing. I wanted him to go out on a higher note.WinStar bought into Exaggerator before the Kentucky Derby and was along for the Preakness and Haskell rides, but the farms real payoff always figured to be after retirement.My judgment in this matter is secondary to the business of promoting and putting a stallion out there, Desormeaux said. It was a marketing thing, jumping on the Curlin bandwagon. Hes as hot as they come, and theres not many sons of Curlin out there yet.No one should begrudge an ownership group for taking money out of the business after putting money in. Still, the retirement of a reportedly sound classic winner before his fourth birthday goes contrary to racings uphill battle to nurture its stars. Exaggerators fans spent most of their time praying for rain and yet longing for the day when he would unleash a grand moment on a dry track.A horse like that doesnt leave the barn without some degree of sadness, Desormeaux said. The good ones are hard to come by.So, the pages are turned, again. There will be no Exaggerator in the Breeders Cup Classic for the Desormeaux stable, but it has high hopes for Miss Southern Miss, the winner of the Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita last Monday. She will run in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.As for Unusual Heat, Barry Abrams predicts the old boy will be one of the best broodmare sires around, and he might be onto something. On the same afternoon as the Surfer Girl, Big Score, out of the Unusual Heat mare Not Unusual, won the Zuma Beach Stakes to set himself up for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf. Tobias Harris Jersey . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. Johnathan Motley Clippers Jersey . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. 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Sky sources understand Jose Mourinho is set to succeed Van Gaal as United manager, with his agent Jorge Mendes due to fly into the UK on Tuesday for talks.Van Gaals United side won the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday after beating Crystal Palace 2-1 after extra time - which may have been the Dutchmans final game in charge. United insist, however, Van Gaals comments on Sunday were referring purely to the season being over - not his reign as United boss.The victorious United squad boarded their bus just before midday on Sunday with Van Gaal posing for photographs with fans. Mourinho to replace LVG Jose Mourinho is set to replace Louis van Gaal at Manchester United Sky Sports News HQs James Cooper wished Van Gaal good luck to which he replied: No, no - its over.United have no plans for a victory parade in Manchester, and the club are believed to be angry that news of Mourinhos potential appointment has overshadowed the clubs first FA Cup win since 2004 and first piece of silverware since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. Jose Mourinho refused to comment on reports linking him with United The clubs owners are in London, having attended the final, as is Mourinho, who attended the David Haye v Arnold Gjergjaj fight at the O2.dddddddddddd. He too refused to comment when approached by Sky Sports News HQs Paul Gilmour as he left late on Saturday. Mourinho and Utd A timeline of events involving Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and Man Utd Van Gaal has previously insisted that he would see out the last year of his contract, despite his side failing to secure a top four spot and Champions League football for next season. The 64-year-old has invested over £250m on new players during his two-year reign at Old Trafford, but a fifth-place finish means United will play in the Europa League during the 2016-17 campaign. Also See: Man Utd to appoint Jose LIVE! Mourinho to replace LVG FA Cup final talking points Mourinho and Man Utd ' ' '