LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A three-year-old colt injured Saturday is recovering from surgery after being vanned off at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
Pulled up by Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. halfway through the third race of the Kentucky Derby undercard, Sorcerer's Silver was transported to Rood & Riddle in Lexington.
"The problem with the sesamoid injury is, they don't show much," Dr. Larry Bramlage said.
The horse was diagnosed with a fractured sesamoid.
"Sesamoids are the two little bones in the back of the horses fetlock joint where when they move and up down, they're the bones that support their weight. They're sort of like our kneecaps only in reverse," Dr. Bramlage noted.
The solution?
"You have to actually fuse that joint," Dr. Bramlage said.
After a three-hour fusion surgery Monday, x-rays show the screws and plate for stabilization. The procedure includes eighteen screws and about two feet of wire, and all things considered, the horse is doing well.
"Their blood supply gets damaged whenever they have this injury because the two arteries to the lower part of the leg go right over the sesamoid bone," Dr. Bramlage said.
That's cause for concern, but so far so good post-surgery.
"In human terms, he's no longer critical but he's still serious," Dr. Bramlage said. Through the process, there's high praise from Dr. Bramlage for the horse's owners.
"West Point Thoroughbreds are wonderful owners," Dr. Bramlage said.
As for the emotional investment?
"It's just that intangible relationship between a partner and his horse and it doesn't have to make sense to anybody except for those two individuals," Owner Concierge Danielle Austin said.
Sorcerer's Silver broke his maiden at Gulfstream in February, and on March 27, he won by seven lengths.
Less than two months later, although he has a career-ending injury, there's a promising outlook. He's projected to be in the field, if all goes well, in three to four months.
"He's gonna live 25 years," Dr. Bramlage said.
Thanks to medical research, support from his owners and innovative work from an internationally recognized equine orthopedic surgeon.
