Pioneerof the Nile Retired, Musket Man Injured
Injuries Have Affected a Dozen of the Top 3-Year-Old Colts This Year
Jul 11, 2009
The latest casualty is Pioneerof the Nile, who has suffered career-ending soft tissue damage to his left front leg. His retirement was announced July 9.
The son of Empire Maker had reeled off four straight stakes victories before finishing second to Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Bob Baffert and bred by his owner, Ahmed Zayat, Pioneerof the Nile had been their hope to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic later this year.
His retirement follows a string of career-delaying and career-ending injuries to his year’s 3-year-old colts.
Musket Man Finished For the Year
On July 5, Musket Man was put on the shelf for the rest of 2009 with a bone bruise in his left front foot. Musket Man won the Tampa Bay and Illinois Derbies before finishing third in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. His next start was to have been the Haskell. The good news is that trainer Derek Ryan said the Yonaguska colt will be back next season as a 4-year-old.
Quality Road (by Elusive Quality) has been out since April with a quarter crack in his right front hoof while recovering from a similar injury in March. Trainer Todd Pletcher, is hoping to have him ready to race in early August.
The A.P. Indy colt Friesan Fire suffered a hairline fracture in his left front ankle after the Preakness and is still on the sidelines after having surgery in mid-June.
I Want Revenge (by Stephen Got Even) was scratched from the Kentucky Derby the morning of the race with heat in his right front ankle. Further tests revealed serious ligament damage. The injury is being treated, but it could be career-ending.
Square Eddie had a strong 2-year-old campaign. He suffered a shin injury in February, recovered and ran third in the Grade II Lexington in mid-April. Heat was found in his shin the week before the Derby and he was scratched. The son of Smart Strike has not started since.
Dunkirk. Midshipman and The Pamplemousse Won’t Return Until Fall
Dunkirk, who was second in the Belmont Stakes, suffered a left hind condylar fracture during or right after that race and had surgery on June 9 to repair the damage. The son of Unbridled’s Song will be off until autumn.
The Pamplemousse was a pre-race Kentucky Derby favourite, but a lesion was found on a left front tendon lin early April. The son of Kafwain will not be back until at least October.
Old Fashioned, another son of Unbridled’s Song, had to be retired in April after surgery to repair a slab fracture of his right knee. Eclipse Award winner Midshipman, also by Unbridled’s Song, could be back this fall after recovering from a soft tissue injury to his left foreleg.
Also sidelined by injury this spring and summer are Win Willy (by Monarchos), out with a small fracture in his left ankle; Regal Ransom (Distorted Humor), who popped a curb and may not be back until fall; and Desert Party (Street Cry), who is out indefinitely after having a bone chip removed from his left front ankle.
Of all these injuries, the majority were on the left side. All were leg or hoof injuries as opposed to illnesses or neck, back, hip or other problems. It is unknown if these injuries are happening across the board to all ages and at all tracks, or if this is just a fluke that so many of the top 3-year-old colts are getting hurt in a short span of time.
Whatever the reason, the finalists for this year’s champion 3-year-old colt may be the runners who can avoid getting hurt.
Update: Nicanor Injured
On July 17, yet another 3-year-old colt was hurt. Nicanor, the look-alike full brother to the late Derby winner Barbaro, injured his left hind leg while training for the $750,000 Virtginia Derby (G!!T). The son of Dynaformer was the morning-line favourite.
