Champion Quarter Horse Heza Dasha Fire sidelined

Heza Dasha Fire, the 2015 World Champion Running Quarter Horse, will be sidelined until late summer after being diagnosed with bone chips in both of his knees, according to a statement released Wednesday by Los Alamitos.

Heza Dasha Fire is winless in two starts this year, finishing second to Moonist in a division of the Los Alamitos Winter Championship trials on Jan. 24 and again in the final last Sunday.

A 4-year-old gelding, Heza Dasha Fire is scheduled to have surgery Friday under the direction of Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith. After a 30-day recovery period with trainer Jose Antonio Flores at Los Alamitos, Heza Dasha Fire will be sent to Lazy Creek Ranch in Murrieta, Calif., before resuming training in June or July.

The timing of the injury will prevent Heza Dasha Fire from starting in the Vessels Maturity, which has time trials June 12 and a final July 3. Heza Dasha Fire could return in time for major stakes in the fall such as the Go Man Go Handicap on Sept. 4 or the Los Alamitos Championship on Oct. 9.

Kathy Meneely, whose family owns Heza Dasha Fire, said the bone chips were detected Tuesday and that the gelding did not show signs of having bone chips after a win in the $600,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 12, a victory that clinched his world champion title.

Heza Dasha Fire has won 11 of 14 starts and earned $1,714,487.