quarter crack | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bad Hoof Luck Continues For Team Forte; Classic Still In Play

'TDN Rising Star' and MGISW Forte (Violence), off since his disappointing fourth-place finish in the GI Travers S. Aug. 26, is receiving treatment for a quarter crack. His connections, including trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole, still believe there is time to prepare him for a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Nov. 4.

Per the Daily Racing Form, farrier Ian McKinlay patched the quarter crack on Forte's left front foot and the horse has been training at Churchill Downs, where he galloped Sunday morning.

“Just trying to get everything right before we start breezing,” Pletcher said Sunday. “I think we're still in position to get a couple of good breezes into him, but we got to get this in proper shape before we start doing that.”

Forte was shipped from Pletcher's Saratoga barn to Churchill to get evaluated and “everything checked out,” Pletcher said.

In order to feel comfortable about running him in the Breeders' Cup, Pletcher said he would like to get three breezes into Forte before the race. That would likely mean getting him back to the worktab by Oct. 14.

“We need things to go smoothly from now on but I think we still have time to get there the right way,” Pletcher said.

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MGSW By My Standards Retired to Spendthrift

Allied Racing's MGSW By My Standards (Goldencents–A Jealous Woman, by Muqtarib) has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Spendthrift Farm, standing the 2022 breeding season for a fee of $7,500 S&N.

“By My Standards came up with a quarter crack that was going to force us to miss the rest of our goals before the breeding season, so the decision was made for him to retire,” explained Chester Thomas, owner and manager of Allied Racing Stable. “It's a bittersweet day because this is a special horse who deserved to win a Grade I and was very unlucky not to. However, I'm proud he is retiring happy and healthy, and I couldn't be more excited about him going to Spendthrift where he'll get the best opportunity to become a great sire, just like his sire and grandsire there.”

Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey added, “We are thrilled to be able to stand By My Standards and are thankful to Chester for the opportunity. Obviously, this is a sire line we know very well and just have tremendous confidence in. By My Standards really embodies the heart and ability that have become so signature to the Into Mischief line. In fact, only his sire Goldencents and Authentic [both standing at Spendthrift] have higher earnings than By My Standards among all the great racehorses from the Into Mischief sire line.”

Trained by Bret Calhoun, the $150,000 OBS juvenile purchase broke his maiden and followed up with a score in the GII Louisiana Derby, winning over eventual GI Kentucky Derby winner Country House and GI Preakness S. winner War of Will. At four, he captured his first three starts of the year, including the GII New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds and the GII Oaklawn H. and subsequently added a victory in the GII Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs. He also was runner-up in Saratoga's GI Whitney H. and GII Stephen Foster S. This term, the 5-year-old won the Oaklawn Mile before finishing runner-up in the GI Met Mile at Belmont. He retires to Spendthrift with a record of seven wins and five seconds from 17 starts and earnings of $2,294,430.

By My Standards will participate in Spendthrift's “Share The Upside” breeding program for a fee of $8,500 for one year. Additionally, breeders must breed one mare in 2023 on a complimentary basis. After the breeder has a live foal in 2023, pays the stud fee, and breeds a mare back, he or she will earn a lifetime breeding right beginning in 2024.

“Everyone who got in on the Share The Upside program for Into Mischief and Goldencents has enjoyed a lot of success, and we believe By My Standards is the next in line,” said Toffey. “I invite all breeders to come out and see him during the November sales, as he will be available for inspection immediately and will be shown Nov. 10-19 daily from 1-3pm.”

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Study Examines Prevalence of Quarter Cracks in High-Performance Horses

Like equine athletes in all disciplines, Thoroughbred racehorses face hoof-related challenges, including quarter cracks. In an effort to better understand this hoof wall abnormality, researchers investigated the incidence, clinical presentation and future racing performance of Thoroughbreds with quarter cracks over a nine-year period.*

A quarter crack is a full-thickness failure of the hoof capsule between the toe and heel that may extend the entire height of the hoof, from coronary band to ground. The separation often results in unsoundness due to instability of the hoof wall or infection of the deep dermal tissue, though many horses remain free of lameness despite the presence of a quarter crack.

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Quarter cracks are thought to arise for many reasons: innate hoof weakness; improper hoof balance; injury or trauma to the coronary band; or infection of the corium, part of the internal vascular network of the hoof. Poor farriery may contribute to hoof imbalance, which could contribute to crack formation. A common finding among horses with quarter cracks is sheared heels, an unevenness of the heels that causes unequal weight-bearing on the bulbs and creates a shearing force absorbed by the hoof capsule.

During the nine-year study period, just over 4,500 horses in a training center were followed. Seventy-four horses had at least one quarter crack during the study period. Twenty horses had two or more quarter cracks. Almost half of all horses with quarter cracks were lame at the onset of the defect.

An overwhelming number of cracks occurred in the front hooves and there was a proportional difference in the number of cracks in the left rather than right front hooves. Most of the cracks came about on the inside of the hooves.

The quarter cracks identified in this study were treated in various ways, though the principle treatments included corrective shoeing with a heart-bar shoe, wire stabilization, and the use of epoxy or acrylic. Treatment goals centered around correcting the hoof imbalance and eliminating uneven movement.

Racing performance following treatment was available for 63 of the 74 horses. Of the 63 horses, 54 horses had at least one start after treatment. When compared to control horses, there was no significant difference in the number of career races, career wins and career placings for horses with quarter cracks.

As mentioned previously, horses genetically predisposed to weak hoof walls might be susceptible to quarter cracks. Racehorses are generally well-nourished, as trainers know the importance of sound nutrition in conditioning an athlete. Aside from high-quality forage and fortified concentrates, horses inclined to poor-quality hooves should be given a research-proven hoof supplement. Biotin should be a primary ingredient in the supplement, but other ingredients will further support hoof health. A high-quality hoof supplement also contains methionine, iodine and zinc.

*McGlinchey, L., P. Robinson, B. Porter, A.B.S. Sidhu, and S.M. Rosanowski. 2020. Quarter cracks in Thoroughbred racehorses trained in Hong Kong over a 9-year period (2007-2015): Incidence, clinical presentation, and future racing performance. Equine Veterinary Education 32 (Suppl. 10):18-24.