Posted on 05/25/2008 11:04:15 AM PDT by gate2wire
Big Brown, who will be seeking the coveted Triple Crown in the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), has a "slight" quarter crack on the inside of his left front foot, trainer Rick Dutrow said Sunday, May 25.
Dutrow said he noticed a small spot on the colt's foot Friday afternoon and notified hoof lameness specialist Ian McKinlay, who treated it. By Saturday, it had turned into a slight quarter crack, five-eighths of an inch long. McKinlay applied iodine solution and said he’s confident it is very minor. He will “lace it up,” and if everything is good, the colt will on the track for full training by Thursday.
"The horse is in no discomfort, he doesn’t even know anything is wrong," Dutrow said. "He is trying to figure out why he is not going to the track, and he has been tough to walk. Missing a few days of training is not going to hurt us at all. If I can work him on Tuesday before the Belmont, that would be perfect. Or even Wednesday would be good."
"This injury is nothing remotely close to the two foot injuries he had last fall and winter," McKinlay said. "Those were wall separations and were very tender. This is just a straight quarter crack that will pretty much heal by itself."
(Excerpt) Read more at tcm.bloodhorse.com ...
ping
“He flies.”
He’d better be able to fly now.
No Triple Crown this year.
Duct tape.
The most depressing part of it is that he’ll probably heal just enough to run in the Belmont, win, and then be promptly retired, to pass on cracking hoofs to all his offspring.
Bet his stud fee will be HUGE!!!!!!!!
I will enthusiastically bet against him now.
Really quite a shame. He is special.
His sire only ran 7 times. Wonder if he had the same issue.
“His sire only ran 7 times.”
Oops, make that eight times.
“Quarter cracks are caused by a variety of factors, including genetic predisposition, time of year, improperly trimmed feet, and traumatic injury.”
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/horse-health/1996/July/27/Healing-quarter-cracks.aspx
You’re welcome.
Pretty good article.
I’m tellin’ you guys, Big Brown is going to come up short just like Funnycide, Sunday Silence, and Smarty Jones did.
what a beautiful animal. I really wish him well!
As a dog breeder I assume that most things have some genetic component, either directly, or as a predisposition. Not sure about a cracked hoof, but it would be hard to imagine that this horse did not get the best possible hoof care. I wonder if it might not have something to do with weight, the makeup of the hoof, the and something about the way he runs putting more pressure on the hoof. But I’m just yaking, since I’m not any sort of experts on horse anatomy. Wish my father in law as still around, he raised, raised and conditioned thoroughbreds and quarterhorses for racing. I’d love to be able to get his take on all of this.
susie
And War Emblem.... he stumbled at the start of the Belmont... almost fell down... What a shame.
Is this really serious enough to keep Big Brown from running well? There’s no other horse this year that can hang with him.. none.
Wow...you really think he won’t triple? Maybe it will make the odds 2-5 rather than 1-5, but on the hoof, how much can it matter?
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