Tag: Steve Asmussen

Echo Zulu Has Another Good Day After Surgery

One day after fetlock arthrodesis surgery to repair broken sesamoids in her left front leg, Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) spent an uneventful day at Steve Asmussen's barn at Santa Anita, according to David Fiske, racing manager for co-owner Ron Winchell.

“No significant change from yesterday,” texted Fiske in response to a TDN request for an update.

“(She) splits her time between lying down and standing at her stall door eating hay. At this stage, that feels like a win. No news is good news.”

Echo Zulu was working in company with stablemate Gunite (Gun Runner) on Friday morning at Santa Anita when she suffered the injury. She was operated on Saturday by California veterinarian Dr. Ryan Carpenter.

“The surgery went very good,” said Carpenter on Saturday after the surgery. “She's up and headed back to the barn. From this point on, we take it day by day. These cases are not out of the woods for the next four to six weeks but every good day is a day closer to a successful outcome.”

In 2023, Echo Zulu won the GI Ballerina H., GII Honorable Miss H., GIII Winning Colors S. Her overall racing record was 11 starts, with nine wins and earnings of $2,640,375.

Fiske said it was too soon to determine what happens next for the four-year-old filly, trained by Steve Asmuseen.

“Too early to say,” he said. “Steve will go out sometime in the near future to better assess the situation. Then we can look at our options. A lot will depend on when she is deemed able to travel.”

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Fiske: Echo Zulu Surgery `Went As Well As Could Be Expected’

Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) had successful surgery today to repair her two broken sesamoids in her left front leg and the surgery “went as well as could be expected” said David Fiske, racing manager to co-owner Ron Winchell.

The surgery was performed at the Southern California Equine Foundation's hospital on the grounds of Santa Anita Park.

The 4-year-old filly suffered an injury Friday morning at Santa Anita, working in company with stablemate Gunite (Gun Runner) in preparation for the Breeders' Cup.

“She's out of surgery,” said Fiske. “Out of recovery. (It) went as well as could be expected. Prognosis guarded. A lot depends on sufficient blood supply to the surgery site and how well she can take care of herself.”

The surgery was performed by veterinarian Ryan Carpenter. “The surgery went very good,” said Carpenter. “She's up and headed back to the barn. From this point on, we take it day by day. These cases are not out of the woods for the next four to six weeks but every good day is a day closer to a successful outcome.”

In 2023, Echo Zulu won the GI Ballerina H., GII Honorable Miss H., GIII Winning Colors S. Her overall racing record was 11 starts, with nine wins and earnings of $2,640,375.

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Echo Zulu Fractures Sesamoids in Santa Anita Workout; Surgery Scheduled

Echo Zulu (Gun Runner–Letgomyecho, by Menifee), the 2021 champion 2-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner who also captured three other Grade I races, including the 2023 Ballerina H., suffered two broken left front sesamoids Friday morning as she was working in company with Gunite, confirmed David Fiske, racing manager for owner Ron Winchell.

“Echo Zulu sustained a biaxial sesamoid bone fracture of the left-front fetlock during training this morning at Santa Anita,” Fiske texted the TDN. “She has been stabilized in a kimzey splint and will undergo surgery for a fetlock arthrodesis tomorrow.”

According to the Kimzey Welding website, which sells the device, a kimzey splint is comprised of aluminum with a neo-foam lining. Three nylon and velcro straps secure the splint to the injured leg while a fourth strap at the base of the splint holds the hoof firmly in place.

In a 2020 story on the procedure, Dan Ross explained, “There are two primary candidates for fetlock arthrodesis, experts say: horses crippled with degenerative arthritis, and in racehorses, those that suffer a closed biaxial proximal sesamoid fracture (when both sesamoid bones break in the same leg).”

The story continues, “The initial portion of the surgery concerns the removal of cartilage between the bones, to make the fusion as tight and stable as possible.”

“That's the most important part of the procedure that's often not done correctly,' warned California veterinarian Ryan Carpenter, who has performed numerous procedures, at the time. “You need that bone-on-bone interface so that it can heal properly.”

A plate is placed across the front of the fetlock, which holds the whole joint in place, wrote Ross. This plate is secured with screws that can be inserted into the fetlock, pastern, cannon bone and, when necessary, the sesamoids. A tension band, a wire that goes behind the fetlock joint, provides another layer of joint stabilization.

“When the sesamoid bones break, you have nothing that supports it back there, and the fetlock drops,” said Carpenter, of the need for this mechanism.

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Mitole’s Booth Breaks Like A Shot, Blitzes To ‘Rising Star’ Honors

by Patrycja Szpyra and J.N. Campbell

Sporting the familiar Heiligbrodt colors of his sire, Booth (c, 2, Mitole–Sophia's Song, by Bellamy Road) showed talent ran in spades in his family on this Super Saturday unveiling, taking the Keeneland night cap at odds of 5-1 by blitzing out of the gate and never giving the rest of the field a chance en route to securing 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

The colt, owned in partnership by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, and Whispering Oaks Farm, set all the fractions of :22.45, a half in :45.08 and :57.05 coming into the stretch before sailing home much the best by 5 1/4 lengths over favorite Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) to stop the clock in 1:10.23. The final time was 0.21 faster than what GSW Yuugiri (Shackleford) posted when winning the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. earlier on the card.

The winner is a half-brother to GI Jockey Club Gold Cup hero Bright Future (Curlin), who was purchased in 2020 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Repole Stables and St. Elias Stable for $350,000. Sophia's Song is also responsible for a yearling colt by Tiz the Law, foaled a colt by Maxfield May 4 and was bred to Jackie's Warrior for 2024. The dam herself hails from a busy family with MSW Tax Refund (Artax) and GSP Unbridled Beauty (Unbridled's Song) also claiming black-type in their careers on the track. The latter would later go on to produce GSP Meal Penalty (Tale of the Cat), a Peruvian leading sire in his second career, and GSP Danny Boy (Harlan's Holiday). Through a daughter of Unbridled Beauty, Booth is also related to GI Hopeful S. shocker Nutella Fella (Runhappy), and another daughter of that mare counts MSP-Fr Demain (More Than Ready) to her tally.

Sophia's Song's winning half-sister Denali Dreamscape (Corinthian) has produced SW New Boss (Street Boss) as well as GSP Daydreaming Boy (Goldencents) while sibling Casey's Dreamin' (Unbridled's Song) can claim GIII Ontario Derby hero Ironestone (Mr Speaker) to her credit. This is the extended female family of two-time champion sprinter Housebuster; MGSW Elysea's World (Ire); and GSW & MGISP Quero Quero.

The Heiligbrodts purchased outright another juvenile son of Mitole at this year's OBS March Sale in Global Icon for $260,000. Bred by Jeff Ganje, the colt has yet to enter training. As for Booth, he is his first-crop sire's (by Eskendereya) 15th winner and second runner to gain the 'Rising Star' stamp of approval.

11th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-7, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.23, ft, 5 1/4 lengths.
BOOTH, c, 2, by Mitole
                1st Dam: Sophia's Song {SW & GSP, $155,892}, by Bellamy Road)
                2nd Dam: Dreamscape, by Mt. Livermore
                3rd Dam: Big Dreams, by Great Above
Sales History: $120,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $225,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,350. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-L. William Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm and Whispering Oaks Farm LLC; B-Clearsky Farms (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.

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