Diversy Harbor euthanized

ARCADIA, Calif. – Diversy Harbor was euthanized on Tuesday after suffering complications from a sesamoid injury sustained in the Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita on April 18, according to Craig Bernick, president of owner Glen Hill Farm.

Diversy Harbor underwent surgery at the Alamo Pintado Equine Clinic in Los Olivos, Calif., in the days after the Santa Barbara to stabilize the injury with a plate and screws. While she showed progress in the weeks after the operation, Bernick said Diversy Harbor’s condition had deteriorated in recent days.

Veterinarians at Alamo Pintado said two screws at the top and bottom of the plate had become loose, and there was growing concern about the condition of Diversy Harbor’s opposite front leg.

“When a horse has a major injury like that, they need to have about 100 good days in a row,” Bernick said. “Her good foot had continued to deteriorate. She was going down in that foot. They said if they tried to continue by using slings and build that foot back, she would have suffered, and they did not like her chances. She basically had no chance. We made the decision to put her down.”

The 4-year-old Diversy Harbor won 3 of 12 starts and earned $377,440. Diversy Harbor won the China Doll Stakes in early 2014 and was later second in the Grade 1 American Oaks. Earlier this year, Diversy Harbor won the Grade 3 Buena Vista Stakes.