NEWS
Ankle injury knocks Endorsement off Derby trail
Posted: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 9:43 AM
ENDORSEMENT
PhotosByZ.com/Thoroughbred Times
For video of trainer Shannon Ritter, click here.
For video of Elliott Walden, click here.
For video of Dr. Bo Landry, click here.
by Frank Angst
Trainer Shannon Ritter’s Kentucky Derby (G1) dream came to an end on Wednesday when WinStar Farm’s Endorsement injured an ankle during a four-furlong workout at Churchill Downs.
Sunland Derby (G3) winner Endorsement suffered a non-displaced lateral condylar fracture in his right front ankle. Bo Landry, D.V.M., said the injury was not life threatening.
Ritter had hoped to saddle a horse in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands for the first time in her career. Her dream began to take shape when Endorsement won a maiden race on February 20 at Oaklawn Park and followed with a three-length victory in the Sunland Derby.
Endorsement completee his final serious Derby workout when he breezed four furlongs in a bullet :47.40, best of 17 timed moves on a main track listed as good. Ritter was aboard for the work. As she guided him back to the barn, she noticed some lameness.
X-rays taken in Endorsement’s stall revealed the injury.
“I’m obviously very disappointed. It’s just hard to get to the Derby,” Ritter said.
Landry said the injury occurred during the workout, noting he had been evaluating the Distorted Humor colt since January.
At the beginning of the week, WinStar had hoped to start four horses in the Derby but on Monday trainer Todd Pletcher removed Rule from consideration, saying the colt did not appear to be sharp. WinStar will enter American Lion and Super Saver. After Endorsement’s injury, WinStar Racing Manager Elliott Walden said he felt bad for Ritter.
“It’s disappointing for the whole WinStar family, especially disappointing for Shannon,” Walden said. “It was going to be a great moment. She’s done a great job with this horse and hopefully he’ll be back.”
Landry said the radiograph indicated the injury should allow for treatment and a return to racing for Endorsement, but he added that more would be known once surgery is performed on Thursday.
“You can see more when you open the joint up. The X-rays look pretty straightforward,” Landry said. “We’re making arrangements for a Thursday surgery.”
Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: gb, ocala, FL on April 30, 2010 at 08:58 AM
Jim,
you hit the nail on the head; when will people wake up to this reality about Raise A Native????? And to make matters worse, they might race him again! Poor baby.
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Posted by: Henry Clayborne, Lexington, KY on April 29, 2010 at 10:40 AM
A couple of days before she gave the horse a day off for no apparent reason saying, 'I do that sometimes'. Anyone who buys that can buy a bridge from me. He was obviously sore, and she worked him and broke him down. Walden was a butcher and she worked for him, so she is a bad as he was. Sad as the horse paid the price for poor management. When he wasn't right, a quick set of xrays would have detected the crack and he would have been fine with no surgery.
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Posted by: Doug Wofford, Keymar , MD on April 28, 2010 at 09:29 PM
Surprised? Shouldn't have been. Who waits till Wednesday for the final work? Derby hopes do funny things to trainers with sore horses.
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Posted by: Jim, Lexington, KY on April 28, 2010 at 06:00 PM
Double Raise a Native and add a dash of Danzig and what you get is a fragile animal!
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Posted by: Deborah, Rockingham, NC on April 28, 2010 at 10:41 AM
It is heart-breaking when one breaks a bone. Smarty's Backtalk is in on another one's bad luck, but I am happy that it is Backtalk who will fill the gap. He deserves a run!
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