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INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The brilliant 3-year-old filly Potesta sustained a condylar fracture Friday morning in a workout at Betfair Hollywood Park and was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday afternoon in an effort to save her life.
Mike Mitchell trains Potesta, winner of the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks in her third career start and fresh from a track-record performance Sept. 2 at Del Mar, where she raced a mile on Polytrack in 1:34.86 winning the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes.
Potesta worked six furlongs Friday under exercise rider Adalberto Lopez and was galloping out after the workout when Lopez heard a crack. He jumped off the filly and walked her back to Mitchell’s stable. Early indications were not good.
“It looked pretty bad,” a heart-broken Mitchell said. “We want to save her, and her owners said to spare no expense.”
Potesta was transported by van to Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, where she was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday afternoon to stabilize the injury. Mitchell said the injury was to her left front, high above the ankle.
Potesta is owned by Anthony Fanticola and Joseph Scardino and was aiming for the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes on Sept. 29 at Santa Anita, followed by a possible start in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic.
Potesta had four starts, three wins, and Beyer Speed Figures in her last two starts of 101 and 103.
“You just don’t get horses like her, that do things so easily,” Mitchell said. “She was a dream to train, to work with.”
A daughter of Macho Uno, Potesta will not race again, according to Mitchell. Joe Talamo rode Potesta to her three wins.
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Potesta, we keep your excellent medical team and your owners and connections in our good thoughts and prayers as well. We are thankful for their dedication to your overcoming this challenge back to full and complete good health. We are also thankful that they are dedicated to you, personally. Once again, have a happy, healing, peaceful week ahead, Potesta.
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Potesta, we stand in solidarity with you in your battle to survive. You have shown remarkable courage in your fight, please continue to do so. You are a warrior and a champion. You can overcome this obstacle and be completely healthy again. We send you good thoughts, healing thoughts, and pray that the operation was a complete success. We pray that your leg is healing swiftly and improves in strength daily. We hope you are not in discomfort, we pray that you are made comfortable while you are healing. Continue to get well, Potesta. We miss you. Your presence is missed as we go forward in the Breeders' Cup races. You should be participating in those races, but all we really care about is your continued good health. That's why we ask that you fight like crazy for your life. Our hope for you is excellent health and that you will be completely healed and in top health in 2013. Continue to hang in there, Potesta, you're doing a great job, sweetie. You are a brave filly. We will continue to check your progress and keep you in our thoughts and prayers. Have a healing, happy, peaceful week ahead!
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I have not heard any updates on Potesta yet. I am still praying for you, Potesta, and I send you good thoughts. I pray your surgery went well and that you are healing. Be strong and courageous, sweet filly. We stand with you in solidarity in your fight. Have a restful, healing day, Potesta. Continue to fight for your life. You are loved. We look forward to hearing good news about your progress from your connections very soon.
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I have been trying to find out any updates since the surgery.......does anyone have any info?
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More sad news for the 3 year olds. Prayers go out to the filly and her connections for a full recovery. So far, so good!
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this injury should have been diagnosed earlier through mri scans
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THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED THOROUGH MRIS...AS NOTED
"I think these fractures will always be part of our racing scene," Nixon says. "The more you train and race these horses, the more they seem to get microfractures that predispose them to more complete and even catastrophic fractures. I wish we could detect microfractures better before they propagate," says Nixon. "The problem with this fracture is that there are areas that have accumulated stress within the fetlock joint and the metacarpal condyles, primarily along the palmar surfaces."
This particular area is predisposed to a subsequent propagating fracture. As a horse is trained more and runs more races, a change occurs in the way the bone structure is oriented. It is not a common fracture in 2-year-olds but is quite common in 3-year-old horses and older. "Bone scan and MRI may help us pick up the early changes that later lead to more complete fracture," Nixon says.
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Potestas' story is another about a young injured horse and yet some seem to love to use these sad events to try to get a cyber-word-war by ignorant attacks against others. Todd E seems happy to drag others down to his level. Don't go. It ain't worth it.
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Oh my goodness! Poor Potesta. What a lovely horse she is!
Potesta, I am praying for you, for your medical team and for your connections. I pray your surgery is a fabulous success and we have you with us for a very long time. Be brave, sweet filly. You can win this fight. Your owners are standing beside you in this battle and so are we! Fight hard for your life. We love you.
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Prayers and blessings to Potesta and her connections; specially to the owner who right away said to not spare any expense in order to save her.
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MONCLOVA galloped out strongly after closing belatedly in her second trip postward May 26, from which the runner-up exited to graduate with a 68 Beyer. The daughter of Queen's Plate winner Niigon is bred to run long, and can break through with the stretchout from six and a half furlongs to a mile and a sixteenth. BE MIND PHIL is returning on short rest off a closing second in her debut, going a mile around one turn on the grass. She has a blend of speed and stamina in her pedigree.
