Nutella Fella, the 54-1 upset winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, will not start again until 2024. Trainer Gary Contessa told bloodhorse.com that the 2-year-old son of Runhappy will be out of training until at least January with a hairline fracture in his left hind ankle.
“It acted like a foot bruise, but we still immediately X-rayed the leg, and X-rays were clean as a whistle. Yet, it just didn't respond (to treatment) like a foot bruise, and it acted like more,” Contessa told bloodhorse.com. “Dr. (Luis) Castro and I wanted to get a more definitive X-ray and we sent him for a CAT scan at New Bolton Center (in Pennsylvania). Sure enough, that was a great move, because they did the scan yesterday and found a hairline fracture in the ankle.”
The colt will not likely need surgery, Contessa said.
Nutella Fella won his debut in a maiden special weight race at Delaware Park on July 26, clearing his rivals by 2 1/4 lengths and stopping the clock in 1:05.55 for 5 1/2 furlongs on the fast dirt track. Ridden by Junior Alvarado in the G1 Hopeful on Sept. 4, the colt broke slowly and was last down the backstretch. Nutella Fella made up all the ground late to win by 1 1/2 lengths, recording a final time of 1:24.41 for seven furlongs on fast dirt.
Out of the placed Candy Ride mare Krissy's Candy, Nutella Fella was a $12,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling sale. He is owned by Bell Gable Stable LLC.
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