Last term's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Texas Red (Afleet Alex) will not race again this season due to a cannon bone bruise. The injury was discovered through a nuclear scan that was run after the bay finished a disappointing fifth in the GI Travers S. Aug. 29.
“After shipping Texas Red to Lexington for a nuclear scan, the vet recommended 60-90 days of paddock exercise after discovering a cannon bone bruise,” Erich Brehm, Jr., who owns the colt in partnership with Wayne Detmar, Lee Michaels, trainer Keith Desormeaux, et al, announced on Twitter Thursday. “We are going to give him the rest of the year off to heal properly and look forward to an exciting 2016.”
Brehm added, “[His] prognosis [is] favorable. There's a reason he did not perform well last out, but a full recovery is expected. I'm always blown away by the support our sport shows when things like this happen! We're in no rush. Texas Red will enjoy his vacation!”
Texas Red made a name for himself last year with a 6 1/2-length upset of MGISW “TDN Rising Star” Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) at odds of 13-1 in the BC Juvenile. He kicked off his sophomore campaign with a runner-up effort in Arcadia's GII San Vicente S. Feb. 1 and was subsequently sidelined by a foot abcess, which kept him off the Triple Crown trail.
The Desormeaux pupil made his return at Belmont July 4 with an impressive runner-up effort behind undefeated “TDN Rising Star” Speightster (Speightstown) in the GIII Dwyer S. The 3-year-old annexed a four-horse renewal of Saratoga's GII Jim Dandy S. next out Aug. 1 prior to his effort in the Travers last time.
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