A recent PET scan at Santa Anita revealed an “area of concern” in the left front fetlock of graded-stakes winner Straight No Chaser, trainer Dan Blacker said Thursday. The 4-year-old Speightster colt will be sent to the farm for a 90-day break.
Straight No Chaser emerged this winter and spring as a top sprinter for owner My Racehorse. After running third in the Grade 3 Palos Verdes at Santa Anita Feb. 5 in his seasonal bow, Straight No Chaser was sent to Oaklawn Park where he romped by 7 ¼ lengths in a six-furlong allowance race. He then went to Pimlico for the G3 Maryland Sprint on the Preakness Stakes undercard May 20 where he again aired, this time by 7 ½ lengths.
Straight No Chaser had not worked since the Maryland Sprint. Blacker said the 4-year-old colt recently underwent a medical examination after an undisclosed party agreed to purchase a minority interest in the colt.
“It was a routine pre-purchase exam. As part of it they did a PET scan and they found an area of concern,” Blacker said. “It's mild. The horse is sound. But nevertheless, we thought it would be a good time to give him a break.”
Blacker later added the “area of concern” was in Straight No Chaser's left front fetlock.
Straight No Chaser will get the summer off before returning to training later this year.
“We'll probably give him 90 days at the farm and bring him back after Del Mar,” Blacker said. “He won't run again until around Christmas time.”
Straight No Chaser was a $110,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic auction purchase as a 2-year-old by My Racehorse. He has earned $245,800 with a record of 4-0-1 in seven starts.
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