Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IIT) winner Pluck, who has disappointed with unplaced finishes in both of his starts this season at 3, will be turned out in a paddock for the next 60 days as a result of bruising on both of his hind cannon bones.
The son of More Than Ready underwent a complete lameness exam the morning of April 12 at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington. "He was lame on both hind legs,” said Dr. Larry Bramlage in a release. “He has bone bruising on each cannon bone of his hind legs. The prognosis is favorable, as they will resolve with a break in training."
Trainer Graham Motion will have Pluck vanned from Keeneland to Fair Hill Training Center in upstate Maryland, where the colt will be turned out during the daytime for the next two months. During the second month, he will be lightly exercised on a eurociser in Team Valor's training barn at Fair Hill.
Owners Team Valor and Vinery had hoped to run the colt in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Fr-I) (French equivalent of the Two Thousand Guineas) in May.
"We knew something had to be bugging him, because he shut down too quickly when he ran so poorly last week in the Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland,” said Team Valor owner/founder Barry Irwin in a statement. “He is too much racehorse to just take himself out of the race after a couple of strides. Garrett Gomez and Graham Motion were puzzled after the race, but now we know why the colt did not want to extend himself."
