injury | Horse Racing Free Tips

Alkumait Injured, Will Miss Guineas

A knee chip sustained while running in the G3 Greenham S. on Sunday has knocked Shadwell's Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) out of action until the autumn. The colt won a Goodwood maiden second up in July, and then added the G2 Mill Reef S. at Newbury on Sept. 19 prior to a last-placed run in the G1 Dewhurst S. on Oct. 10. Shelved until Apr. 18, the bay ran seventh in the Greenham over seven furlongs.

Shadwell Racing Manager Angus Gold said, “Sadly he's come out of it with a little chip on a knee, which we're going to have to take out. Apart from anything else, I think the run confirmed he doesn't stay, even if a chip on a knee was hardly going to help him.

“I think he's going to be a sprinter, but he'll miss the whole of the summer and we'll try to get him back in the autumn.”

Another Shadwell G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas hopeful that will skip the May 1 Classic is Mujbar (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}). Also a group winner as a juvenile taking the Oct. 24 G3 Horris Hill S., the bay colt will instead point to the G1 French 2000 Guineas on May 16. He ran eighth in the Greenham in his 3-year-old bow.

“All his best form last year was definitely with give in the ground and I think we learned the other day he would prefer it easier. He was also far too keen, anyway,” Gold added of Mujbar. “Hopefully we've got that out of him now on his first run back and we might look at the French Guineas or something like that. We'll see how he does between now and then, but he won't be going to Newmarket for the Guineas.”

'TDN Rising Star' Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is still a potential Guineas contender, but his next start has not been confirmed. A winner at Newmarket in October, he earned 'Rising Star' status with a six-length drubbing of his contemporaries in a seven-furlong conditions stakes at HQ on Apr. 13.

Gold added, “No decision has been made yet. We'll wait to hear from Sheikh Hamdan's family whether they would like to supplement him for the Guineas or head towards [Royal] Ascot and go the more gentle route.”

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Moonlight D’Oro, Charlie’s Penny Both Off Oaks Trail Due To Injury

Recent stakes winners Moonlight d'Oro and Charlie's Penny have both been taken out of consideration for the 2021 Kentucky Oaks due to injury.

According to bloodhorse.com, G3 Las Virgenes Stakes winner Moonlight d'Oro was diagnosed with a chip in her right knee. The Spendthrift Farm and MyRacehorse-owned filly will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove the chip, and is expected to require 60-90 days off after the procedure.

“There was a little bit of heat, they took an X-ray, and found a small chip,” Michael Behrens, founder and CEO of co-owner MyRacehorse, told bloodhorse.com. “This is why we're with (trainer Richard) Mandella's team; he always does right by the horse and cares about what is best for the horse. He thinks it's best for the horse to do the surgery now and shut her down, and we're going to do what's best for her. We're hopeful this will be just a small setback.”

Lothenbach Stables' homebred Charlie's Penny, easy winner of the Silverbulletday Stakes, has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture to her shin, reports the Daily Racing Form. Trainer Chris Block reported that x-rays were taken after a small bump on her shin was found, but it took a second round of x-rays to uncover the small fracture. The Race Day filly will head to Florida for 90 days off.

“It's a tiny fissure line but it's there, and I'm glad we caught it when we did,” Block told drf.com.

Read more at bloodhorse.com and drf.com.

The post Moonlight D’Oro, Charlie’s Penny Both Off Oaks Trail Due To Injury appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Oops: How Old Is That Injury?

Horses love to find ways to injure themselves and it's not always easy to determine if the lump, bump or scrape is new or old, especially if the horse isn't groomed every day or if he's sporting a long, thick winter coat. When a lump or bump is discovered, a few things can be done to determine if it's fresh and requires a call to the vet or if it's old and just now being noticed.

The feel of a lump can indicate if it's new or old: New injuries are often soft to the touch from fluid that pools in the area. A new injury will often feel hot to the touch. An older injury tends to feel firmer as it's made up of scar tissue or calcification; it will be the same temperature as the surrounding skin.

If the horse reacts to palpation, it's most likely a newer injury. Sensitivity to touch is associated with the same inflammation that causes the soft feel.

A call to the veterinarian may be in order if the lump or bump is new and if the horse is lame. Older injuries that have healed and are nothing to be alarmed about.

Study: Four Risk Factors For Musculoskeletal Injuries In Racehorses Identified

Musculoskeletal injuries continue to plague Thoroughbred racehorses around the world, despite ongoing research into their causes. Many injuries occur during training, though many tracks report only race-day injuries.

Drs. Kylie L. Crawford, Anna Finnane, Clive Phillips, Ristan Greer, Solomon Woldeyohannes, Nigel Perkins, Lisa Kidd and Benjamin Ahern sought to determine the risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries and see if these factors were different for 2-year-old racehorses and older racehorses.

The team focused their study on Thoroughbreds training in southeast Queensland; they used injuries reported from training stables over a 56-week study. Control horses were recruited for every injury case. In total, information was gathered on 202 injured horses and 202 uninjured horses. Trainers and their staff were interviewed weekly regarding both injured and uninjured horses.

For this population of horses, the study team found four factors associated with higher odds of injury:

2-year-old horses that were prepped for racing for between 10 and 14 weeks. Increasing length of preparation was linked to higher odds for injury in all horses, but particularly in 2-year-olds. Horses not given adequate time for their tissues to repair and adapt to race training are more prone to injury.
2-year-old Thoroughbreds out of maiden mares (these horses were specifically at risk for shin soreness). They note that mares that have had multiple foals tend to have larger, heavier foals, which could be associated with bone density and ability to withstand race training.
Thoroughbreds of all ages that ran 1.5 miles to 2.3 miles at a fast gallop (faster than 34mph) in the four weeks preceding injury
3-year-olds and older horses that ran 1.9 miles to 3 miles at nearly 30 mph and faster. The scientists found that exercising a horse at a slower pace for an increasing number of days decreased the odds of injury no matter the horse's age. They reported that for horses thought to be at higher risk of injury, increasing the number of days worked at a slow pace may be more effective than completely resting the horse.

The scientists recommend that horses that fall into these categories be monitored closely for impending injury. The study team concluded that early identification of horses at increased risk, along with appropriate intervention, could significantly reduce the impact of musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses.

Read the full study here.