Comma to the Top and Archarcharch injured in the Kentucky Derby; both require a surgery to race again
Comma to the Top suffered an ankle injury while he was running in the Kentucky Derby and thus, finished last in the race. He is expected to be sidelined from racing for at least two months. Ancharcharch also suffered an injury, a fracture in his left foreleg,
during the race on 7th May.
Comma to the Top’s trainer, Peter Miller, told the Churchill Downs officials, "It appears my horse chipped his left ankle, we could see it when we brought him back. I believe we’ll have Dr. [Wayne] McIlwrath from Colorado State University take it out in
the next little while".
Miller also said that the colt will undergo a surgery, adding, “This isn’t the end of the world, and hopefully it won’t be too bad, My horse tried; he always tries and for the first mile of the race he was right there. In the end it looks like we do have
a real good miler or mile and a sixteenth horse. We got to run in the Kentucky Derby. How special is that"?
The Bay gelding is owned by Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, and Kevin Tsujihara. The Saturday’s Kentucky Derby had the colt fight aggressively and stalking the pace for a mile.
He tracked Shackleford to go from third to second but afterwards, the colt became slow. He was ridden by Pat Valenzuela and sent at 35.80-1 in the field.
The Kentucky Derby was won by the 20-1 shot, Animal Kingdom, in his fifth lifetime start. The race was televised in the United States on NBC.
Comma to the Top is sired by Bwana Charlie and prior to the Kentucky Derby, the 3-year-old had won six of his thirteen starts in his career.
The colt has enjoyed five consecutive victories. One of the victories also includes the Grade 1 Cashcall Futurity, held on December 18th, 2010.
However, he has not won in any of the three starts he had this year. He was beaten by a head by Midnight Interlude in the Santa Anita Derby on April 9th, 2011.
Comma to the Top was clocked breezing the five furlongs race in Hollywood Park with a record timing of 1:00 2/5 and was regarded as the top juvenile.
Comma to the Top was not the only horse injured in the May 7 event.
Archarcharch also suffered a condylar fracture to his left foreleg. The Arkansas Derby winner was reported as safe of any life threatening injury by Dr. Larry Bramlage. The doctor also said that the colt will require a surgery after his X-rays were taken
in the barn area.
Archarcharch was sent at 9-1 in the field and finished 15th. His jockey, Jon Court, reported that the colt struggled over the dirt track at Churchill Downs.
He said, "In the final sixteenth of a mile he was just gimping a bit, He was walking on it but he just wasn't comfortable".
The doctor also said that it's early to tell when the horse will be able to race again.
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