Posted on 04/20/2008 9:35:23 AM PDT by gate2wire
Robert LaPenta’s War Pass, the champion 2-year-old of 2007 and winner of the $2 million Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Monmouth Park, has suffered a leg injury that has knocked the colt out of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Trainer Nick Zito said Saturday that X-rays had revealed a small fracture in the sesamoid in the colt’s left front ankle. Veterinarian Dr. Rick Fischer discovered the fracture that Zito said would likely require War Pass to be on the sidelines for “a few months.” Zito said equine surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage would be consulted on the injury early next week, but it’s too early to know if surgery would be required.
“It’s at the back of the ankle, and it pulled away from the sesamoid,” Zito said. “It’s very small. In fact, he (Fischer) took the picture again and had a technician look at the digital images, because there’s no swelling there. He’s actually walking sound.”
Zito said the fracture had occurred recently. Fischer suggested the colt had probably suffered the injury during the running of the Wood Memorial (gr. I) at Aqueduct on April 5. War Pass finish second to Tale of Ekati in that race after leading in rapid early fractions. War Pass shipped to Zito’s barn at Churchill Downs on the day after the Wood Memorial, and for several days the colt appeared to be thriving in his new surroundings.
Zito and his staff began to feel that something was amiss with War Pass, but couldn’t put a finger on a problem because of the lack of swelling or other obvious physical symptoms.
(Excerpt) Read more at tcm.bloodhorse.com ...
Too bad. Say goodbye to lots of futures money.
I was really sorry to see this yesterday. I would not have picked him in the Derby because of distance, but without him, the Derby will be a different race than it would have been had be been able to go.
The Big Brown connections are probably happy about this turn of events.One less speed horse to contend with.
It certainly changes the shape of the race.
Going to be very interesting.
Agreed.
The problem with today’s horses is most bred to win early in their careers, at the expense of durability.
Don’t think I can argue with that.
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