Injuries sideline three Thoroughbred stars

You know the saying… When a celebrity passes away, your first thought is, “They always seem to come in threes.” And, almost always, sadly, within a few days, two more celebrity’s pass away.

Well, that seemed to be the case in Thoroughbred racing this week, as three star Thoroughbreds were sidelined due to injuries.

Things began on July 12, 2015, when it was announced that 2014 Horse of the Year and Three-Year Old Champion, California Chrome. was out for the year due to a cannon bone bruise.

The winner of the 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) had last competed in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-1) where he gave a valiant effort and finished in second place.

After that, he travelled to England where plans were to run him in the at Royal Ascot. However, just a few days before the race, he was scratched due to a foot bruise.

He then returned to the United States to Arlington for a run in the Arlington Million before the cannon bone bruise was discovered.

"He's probably out for the rest of the year," said California Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman in a BloodHorse.com article. "It's three months, but that's almost the rest of the year, and if you're going to race him again, you have to get him back into training. If they decide to run him next year, he'll be fine... (The owners) haven't made up their mind, but I'll know in the next couple days."

Considering his value as a stallion prospect, it is quite possible California Chrome’s career might be over. Time will tell.

Owned by Dumb Ass Partners Perry Martin and Steve Coburn, California Chrome, who is by Lucky Pulpit-Love the Chase, by Not for Love, currently has nine wins, three seconds, one third and $6,322,650 in earnings in 18 career starts.

The very next day, it was announced that Main Sequence had been retired due to a tendon tear that was discovered following his last race in the United Nations Stakes.

“Following Main Sequence's poor performance in the United Nations Stakes, a thorough veterinary examination was carried out last week, A tendon tear was discovered and the decision has been taken to retire him. The 2014 Eclipse champion turf male and Eclipse champion older male has given his owners great pleasure throughout his career,” said Alan Cooper in a BloodHorse.com article. Cooper is the racing manager for the horse’s owner, Flaxman Holdings.

Trained by Graham Motion, Main Sequence, who is by Aldebaran-Ikat (Ire), by Pivotal (GB), retires with nine wins, three seconds, three thirds and $3,428,591 in earnigns in 21 career starts. He ran races in the United States (mostly, but also England, France and the UAE.

Arguably, his biggest win came in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Santa Anita on Oct. 31, 2014.

Then, the following day, news spread that undefeated Lady Eli was battling laminitis after she had stepped on a nail following her win in the $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on July 4.

Lady Eli, shown winning the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Santa Anita, has been sidelined due to laminitis after being injured after the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on July 4, when she stepped on a nail heading back to the barn. (Photo by Matt Wooley / EquiSportPhotos.com)

"I feel badly for all her fans and for (her trainer) Chad (Brown), who is very close to this horse," said Jay Hanley, one of her co-owners. "Hopefully she can take her fighting spirit and put it into fighting this."

Owned by Sheep Pond Partners, Lady Eli currently has six wins and  $1,449,800 in earnings in six career starts.

By Divine Park-Sacre Coeur, by Saint Ballado (Can), the beautiful, dark brown 3-year-old filly, who still has so much potential, is now battling for her life, as laminitis is a tough injury to cure. But, as she has done in all of her races, she is a fighter and, no doubt, will fight her best to conquer this injury.

(Information gathered from BloodHorse.com, HorseRacingNation.com and Brisnet.com)