Dance With Fate, winner of the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes this spring and the likely favorite for Saturday’s San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, was euthanized shortly after 12 noon Thursday at his barn at the shore track following a severe leg injury in an early morning training incident.
The 3-year-old colt, who finished sixth in California Chrome’s Kentucky Derby in his most recent start, suffered the rupture of two of his three large patella ligaments in his right rear leg, according to attending veterinarian Helmuth Von Bluecher, DVM.
Dr. Von Bluecher, along with veterinarians Dr. Jeff Blea and Dr. Jen Finley, all attended to the horse throughout the morning. X-rays of the injury were taken and shared with famed equine orthopedic surgeon Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. The injury, which was complicated by possible infection and further injuries in the stifle area, meant the horse’s patella (akin to a human knee cap) would not be able to bear weight. It was the consensus among the veterinarians that the severity of the injury left his connections euthanization as their only humane choice.
Dance With Fate was galloping under exercise rider Joe Duran at approximately 5:30 Thursday morning at Del Mar when he unexplainably bolted to the outside fence near the far turn. The horse crashed into the fence and fell heavily, losing his rider in the process.
Dance With Fate was removed by horse ambulance to trainer Peter Eurton’s Barn X at Del Mar, while rider Duran was taken by ambulance to Scripps La Jolla Hospital with unknown injuries.
The son of Two Step Salsa had been in training at Santa Anita and Del Mar since shipping back from New York following an abortive attempt to run in Belmont Park’s new $1.25-million Belmont Derby. The horse battled colic on the eve of the Belmont race and was withdrawn from the field. Just last Saturday at Del Mar he worked a bullet five furlongs in :58 2/5 and appeared to be a strong candidate to take on his elders both in this weekend’s San Diego and the August 24 TVG Pacific Classic.
Dance With Fate, a winner of three of nine starts and purses of $680,050, is owned by Sharon Alesia of Carlsbad, CA, the Brand Jam Stable of Michael Mellen of Los Angeles, and Ciaglia Racing, which is the nom du course of Joe Ciaglia of Upland, CA.
7/24/14 ###