Junebugred knocked off the Derby trail after discovering a bone a chip in his ankle
The 3-year-old Steve Hobby trained colt, Junebugred, is the latest victim to fall off the Kentucky Derby trail after getting a bone chip in his ankle, and according to his conditioner Junebugred picked it up recently and it’s a tiny little chip, but the
injury is going to knock him out for 3 months.
The prognosis is good on Junebugred regarding the bone chip, and there is no damage to the joint, which means he will have the opportunity to resume his sophomore season later this year.
Owned by Alex Lieblong, Junebugred will require an arthroscopic surgery to remove the chip, but it will be all too late for his immediate plans.
The Kentucky bred son of Corinthian, out of mare Dixie Melody by Dixieland Band, Junebugred is exiting a sixth place finish in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park over a distance of 1 mile on 20 February, 2012, to winner Castaway, who defeated the
likes of Jake Mo in second and Reckless Jerry in third, while covering the 1 mile distance in 1 minute and 38.09 seconds.
Trainer Steve Hobby was speechless after the loss, and he failed to explain why the Smarty Jones Stakes winner wilted to finish sixth in the Southwest Stakes, but his bone chip situation lifted the haze.
“I’m surprised it took a week to show up,” he said. “We have been looking and looking at that horse every day with a microscope, but it picked yesterday to finally crop up. It was kind of like ‘well, there you go.’”
“It’s disappointing, but maybe we’ll end up counting our blessings,” said Hobby. “He’s a small horse, and who knows what rushing and forcing him into something like (the Triple Crown) might do. In this case, we will let him get better and find the best spots
for him when we get him back.”
Junebugred is scheduled to go under surgery Rood & Riddle Equine Center near Lexington, and after the surgery he will be given time off to recover at Diamond A Farm.
It is a huge setback for Junebugred to be derailed off the Triple Crown trail, but his connections would have to focus on what lies after 90 days.
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