Big City Lights undergoing knee surgery to check for cartilage damage
Big City Lights, a game second in the California Cup Sprint for statebreds at Santa Anita on Jan. 7, is scheduled to undergo exploratory knee surgery on Saturday, trainer Richard Mandella said.
Mandella said on Friday that the operation will determine whether Big City Lights has sustained cartilage damage.
“It doesn’t show much on the X-ray, but we’ll take a look,” he said.
Owned by William Peeples, Big City Lights was beaten a neck by The Chosen Vron in the California Cup Sprint at six furlongs, the third consecutive stakes for statebreds in which Big City Lights was second to The Chosen Vron.
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Big City Lights, 4, won his first three starts, including the Fasig-Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita in 2021 and the Real Good Deal Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds at Del Mar last August in his first start for Mandella.
The Mandella-trained Forbidden Kingdom remains on schedule for his 4-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita on March 11 after working five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Friday.
Mandella said he timed Forbidden Kingdom galloping out six furlongs in 1:13. The $200,000 San Carlos Stakes is run at seven furlongs and will be Forbidden Kingdom’s first start since a second-place finish to Taiba in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.
Mandella said he plans a more strenuous workout for Forbidden Kingdom next weekend as the San Carlos draws closer.
“We’ll get a little serious next week,” he said.
Owned by Spendthrift Farm and the My Racehorse partnership, Forbidden Kingdom has won 3 of 9 starts and earned $507,500. He is winless in four starts since winning the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita last March.
Leading rider Juan Hernandez is booked to ride Forbidden Kingdom.
Mandella has stakes plans on turf for Lane Way and Sumter in March.
Lane Way, the winner of the Clocker’s Corner Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course, will start in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on the hillside turf course on March 5 or the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at six furlongs on a straightaway course at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on March 25.
Sumter, third in the Grade 2 Mathis Mile on turf for 3-year-olds on Dec. 26, is a candidate for the $100,000 San Simeon. Sumter worked five furlongs in a quick 58 seconds at Santa Anita on Friday.
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