Gulfstream Park: Just Call Kenny injured in Spectacular Bid win

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Pat McBurney was all smiles in the winner’s circle after Just Call Kenny surged to an impressive victory in Saturday’s Spectacular Bid Stakes. But the celebration was short lived.

By the time Just Call Kenny left the test barn, he was already showing signs of soreness, and the next day it was confirmed the 3-year-old had suffered a condylar fracture to his right foreleg.

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Just Call Kenny was sent to Ocala, Fla., where he underwent surgery Wednesday. McBurney said the injury would likely keep the son of Jump Start out of commission for 60 to 90 days.

“It’s a very hard blow,” McBurney said when confirming the injury late Tuesday morning. “His performance was really impressive in the Spectacular Bid, and we all thought he wanted more ground to begin with. We hadn’t made any concrete plans for his next start, but we had the Hutcheson in the back of our minds.”

McBurney said he’s still uncertain when Just Call Kenny might have suffered the injury.

“It could have happened when he split horses and got bumped a little bit coming into the stretch,” McBurney said. “He’s really a game horse to have run like he did after incurring that type of injury during the race.”

Joe Bravo rode Just Call Kenny to victory in the Spectacular Bid, one of his two stakes wins on Saturday’s card and four tallies overall last weekend. Bravo also put up a picture-perfect ride aboard Naples Bay to win the Marshua’s River for trainer Christophe Clement earlier on Saturday’s program.

“Joe came into the paddock before the Spectacular Bid and said he’d like to take Just Call Kenny back to last, get him to relax, and see if he’d make a run,” said McBurney, “and then went out and followed the game plan perfectly.”