Exogenous Continues to Hold Her Own

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By Steve Haskin and
Ray Paulick
Trainer Scotty Schulhofer said Monday that Exogenous is still progressing slowly from her injuries suffered prior to the Breeders' Cup Distaff, when she flipped over backwards, hitting her head on the ground and suffering a severe concussion.

The Beldame and Gazelle winner had her head out the stall Monday morning, and occasionally would close her eyes and lower her head as if she were dozing off. She would then pick her head back up and open her eyes, similar to someone catching themself nodding off at the dinner table.

"She's holding on, getting a little bit better every day," Schulhofer said. "She laid down yesterday for about an hour and a half, rested a little bit, then got up. She's still eating well and all systems are on go. Her right ear is drooping a little bit, and her left eye looks a bit different than the other. She hit her head on the right side, and I guess the impact affects the left side. That could be from the swelling. The more time that passes, the better it is, but she's still not out of the woods. The vet checks her every few hours and she does seem to be getting brighter. We just have to keep going, and hopefully the swelling will go down."

Exogenous was injured when she reared and flipped over backwards, just after leaving the tunnel and entering the main track for the post parade. She struck her head solidly on the ground, then became entangled with the metal gate near the outside rail. On-track patrons and television viewers watched in horror as veterinarians and others tried to extricate the filly and help her stand. She was sedated and moved onto the horse ambulance after crews put up a tarp-like screen to shield her from the crowd and cameras. The screen is most often employed when a horse suffers a catastrophic injury and is euthanized.

"When they brought out that damned screen I wanted to throw up," said Hall of Fame veteran Scotty Schulhofer.

Randy Schulhofer said a track veterinarian recommended Exogenous be euthanized but the Schulhofers private vet, Dr. Steve Carr, wanted to bring her back to the barn and try to save her.

"This was a nightmare," the younger Schulhofer said on Sunday. "She suffered a bad concussion, but her bodily functions are good and we are pretty optimistic."

"The big question is how much swelling there is on the brain," said Scotty Shulhofer. "She's a pretty tough filly."

Even if she has a complete recovery, Exogenous won't race again. "She'll make a great broodmare," Randy Schulhofer said.

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