Endorsement out of Derby - SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) April 28, 2010 -- Weather wise, this was a perfect morning. Clear skies, bright sun, cool temperatures. And the crowd on the backstretch was several times what it was yesterday. Unfortunately, the news didn’t match the weather.

As previously reported, WinStar Farm’s Endorsement will undergo surgery for a condylar fracture of his right ankle. Shannon Ritter has her colt on the track for a final Derby workout shortly after the renovation break at 8:30 A.M. The move seemed to go without incident but according to Ritter, she noticed something was wrong on her way back to the barn. Attending veterinarian Bo Landry was called and x-rays revealed the fracture.

WinStar Farm VP and Racing Manager Elliott Walden said “I’m disappointed for the whole Winstar family
and especially Shannon Ritter. She’s done a great job with this horse”.

I told Shannon that everyone in the Sunland Park neighborhood was disappointed for her as well. She and her horse made such a great impression during Sunland Derby week. I haven’t seen owner Bill Casner yet but I expect to catch him at the draw in a few minutes.

In other injury news, Eskendereya, who was declared out of the Derby on Sunday, is still in Todd Pletcher’s barn here at Churchill. Pletcher told me the colt is still being treated with anti inflammatory medication, poultice and ice and would be taken to a clinic after Derby week. The trainer still has four in the Derby but in listening to him, it’s clear that losing Eskendereya was a major blow. He also said that the filly Devil May Care would probably not have run if Eskendereya was still in the picture.

I asked him if he was glad that the post position draw has reverted to a single pill pull after a dozen or so years of using a selection process.

His response was “yes and no. On one hand there was some control when you made selections but now we’re relieved of worrying about all that pre-draw strategy.”

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