The Player, injured in New Orleans Handicap, has surgery

The Player, the 5-year-old horse who suffered fractured sesamoids Saturday in the New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds, went into surgery late Monday morning at the Louisiana State University Equine Medical Facility in an attempt to save his life.

Trainer Buff Bradley said the complex surgery was scheduled to take about six hours and that more would be known about the prospects for survival sometime later in the day. Dr. Charles McCauley headed the surgical team.

“We’ll know more when Dr. McCauley lets us know,” Bradley said.

The Player slowed abruptly leaving the final turn in the New Orleans Handicap and was eased by jockey Calvin Borel. Bred in Kentucky by Bradley and his late father, Fred, in partnership with Carl Durst, The Player won 5 of 14 career starts and $452,485 for Bradley and Durst. The biggest wins for the chestnut son of Street Hero came in the Grade 2 Fayette at Keeneland in October and the Grade 3 Mineshaft at Fair Grounds in February.