Spendthrift Farm has announced that Lord Nelson (Pulpit–African Jade, by Seeking the Gold), a finalist for the Eclipse Award for champion sprinter, has developed laminitis secondary to an infection that caused him to miss the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and will not breed for the entirety of the 2017 season.
“It's a new setback, but we are cautiously optimistic about his prognosis. With that said, we understand the seriousness of this disease,” commented Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “Mr. Hughes is committed to always doing what's best for the horse, and that means Lord Nelson will be withheld from breeding mares this season. Our team has notified all of the breeders from his full book, and our focus is now 100% on bringing him back to good health. We very much appreciate the breeders for their understanding,” he added.
Winner of the 2015 GII San Vicente S. for John Fort's Peachtree Stable, Lord Nelson was acquired privately by Spendthrift for the 2016 season and became one of the nation's leading sprinters. The chestnut was victorious in each of his four starts in the Spendthrift purple-and-orange colors, including the GI Triple Bend S., the GI Bing Crosby S. and the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship. He would have been one of the favorites on Breeders' Cup Saturday, but was scratched with the aforementioned infection.
More on this story in Sunday's TDN.
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