Chrome suffered an injury to his right front hoof heel bulbs at the start of the ride. Jockey thought the #3 horse clipped Chrome coming out of the gate. NOT an uncommon injury.
I am astonished that he finished 4th instead of dead last with that kind of injury. I do NOT think it was the distance. It was the injury. It was bleeding when he was taken off the track & unsaddled after the finish line. It was cleaned with Betadine & treated & wrapped to keep the wound clean. He also got a shot of anti-biotics to keep infection at a distance. He will probably be on a 10 day prescription of anti-biotics. It will heal, and he should be totally sound within 8 weeks.
I have horses & I know what that injury can do to a horse’s performance.
I hadn’t heard that.... but I could tell watching him run that something wasn’t right. I just assumed it wasn’t “his day”. But that makes sense.