Spring Hill Farm added to the long list of horses that will miss the Triple Crown due to injury
George Bolton, who co-owns 3-year-old colt with Stonestreet Stables, Spring Hill Farm, the Kentucky Derby prospect is off the trail with a right knee fracture. The colt will go under surgery at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington on 14 March, 2012.
The Virginia bred is trained by Todd Pletcher, and the colt was exiting a fourth place finish to winner, Prospective, in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby at about 1 1/16 miles over at Tampa Bay Downs’ dirt course on 10 March, 2012.
The news broke out on 13 March, when George Bolton confirmed it, and he also said that the colt will have a s***w inserted as part of the surgery, and it is not known whether the colt will be able to race again, but George Bolton is keeping his fingers crossed.
“It sounds fixable from what they are saying so far, but we will wait until after surgery,” Bolton said. “Hopefully he can return to his old self at some point, maybe next fall.”
Spring Hill Farm was sent as the 2 to 1 favourite to win the Tampa Bay Derby, but a photo of the start of the Tampa Bay Derby revealed that, Spring Hill Farm fell to the ground after getting out from the gate, and that is likely where he suffered the injury.
“It was a very courageous run for a horse that suffered that kind of fracture,” Bolton said. “The gates opened when he was in the wrong position, his head was sideways coming out of the gate, and then it swung the other way. He just went down to the ground
and probably hurt himself getting up. He probably ran most of the mile and a sixteenth in pain.”
The son of Smart Strike, out of mare Colonial Minstrel by Pleasant Colony, under Todd Pletcher’s training was blossoming, as he was undefeated in his 2 career starts right before the Tampa Bay Derby.
Winning the maiden special weight race at first asking at Gulfstream Park at about seven furlongs, and then downing an allowance/optional claimer stretched out in 1 mile, also at Gulfstream Park.
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