Stradivari suffers career-ending injury during training

Edited Press Release

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Stradivari suffered a lateral condylar fracture of his right front ankle while training Friday morning on Saratoga's main track and is being evaluated at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga for possible surgery. The trainer reported that the sesamoid bones are intact.

Stradivari, who finished fourth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and fifth in the Belmont Stakes (G1) last out, was injured near the mile pole while breezing with Belmont nose second and stablemate Destin. Pletcher said they breezed five-eighths of a mile in 1:00.87 before the injury.

"He took a funny step and (exercise rider) Patti (Krotenko) pulled him up quickly," Pletcher said. "We're just waiting to get a couple of opinions on the X-rays and hopefully do surgery."

Destin came out of the breeze in good order and is being pointed toward the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) on July 30. The Giant's Causeway colt is looking for his first victory since posting wins in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3).

Mo d'Amour, the three-year-old daughter of last year's leading freshman sire Uncle Mo, is set to take on Songbird in Sunday's $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). After finishing fourth last out in the July 2 Mother Goose Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, the dark bay filly will be looking for her first graded victory in her fifth try against graded rivals.

"She seems like she's doing well," Pletcher said. "She's a stakes winner, she's not Grade 1-placed but we felt like it was an opportunity for her to get Grade 1 black-type. It's a short field and she's doing well so we decided to take a crack at it."

Off the Tracks, the Mother Goose winner, could make her second straight Grade 1 start in the $500,000 Test Stakes on August 6. The bay sophomore filly breezed four furlongs in :49.45 over Saratoga’s fast main track Friday.

"Right now, we are considering the Test," Pletcher said. "We'll see how this weekend goes and that could influence what we do next."

Stradivari photo courtesy of Keeneland/Coady Photography