Los Alamitos: Fixin to Fly sidelined by bone chip

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – The winner’s circle was empty after Saturday’s $461,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity at Los Alamitos.

Long Gone, who had finished first, was headed back to trainer Adan Farias’s barn after being disqualified and placed ninth. The promoted winner, Fixin to Fly, was on the backstretch, awaiting a van ride back to trainer Jim Hanson’s stable.

Fixin to Fly was pulled up by jockey Jay Conklin after the 350-yard race. Fixin to Fly was later diagnosed with a bone chip in a knee, an injury that will require surgery and keep him out of training until next spring. After the operation, Fixin to Fly will be sent to Hanson’s base in Pocatello, Idaho, to continue recovery.

In the minutes after the race, Hanson feared the worst. A quickly taken set of X-rays early Sunday morning revealed the injury.

“He’ll get operated at Los Alamitos in about 10 days,” Hanson said. “He’ll recover there, and we’ll send him home for six months and then swim him for two months.

“When you win a race and you see the horse vanned off, you’re thinking there goes the future. You’re worried about having to put your horse down.”

Fixin to Fly was second in the Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos in May. In the Governor’s Cup Futurity, he finished a nose behind Long Gone. After being promoted to first, Fixin to Fly earned $193,620 for co-owners Hanson and Danielle Hall.

“It’s the worst $200,000 I’ve ever made,” Hanson said.

Long Gone was disqualified after he crossed into the path of Ima Chickie Too, who also is trained by Farias.

◗ Earlier in the night, Farias had better luck when Chivalry Sr won the $100,000 Spencer Childers Breeders’ Championship for older statebred Quarter Horses. Chivalry Sr ran 400 yards in track-record time of 19.067 seconds, lowering the mark of 19.113 seconds set by One Sweet Jess in March.

Chivalry Sr finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of Freaky, the 2009 World Champion Quarter Horse who was previously trained by Farias and is now trained by Mario Loza. Armando Aguirre owns Freaky.

◗ Hot Hitter won Saturday’s $196,000 Governor’s Cup Derby by a neck over Walkin Bac as the 1-2 favorite. The win led trainer Felipe Quintero to consider Hot Hitter for the Golden State Derby on Aug. 28, the next major race at Los Alamitos. Trials for the Golden State Derby are on Aug. 14.