Stakes runners Geno, Happy Medium euthanized due to training injuries

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Geno, winner of the Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series, and Happy Medium, a promising older sprinter who finished third in the Grade 3 Toboggan, had to be euthanized last week in separate training incidents over the Belmont Park training track.

Geno, a 3-year-old son of Big Brown, was euthanized Saturday after a gallop over the training track, according to trainer David Donk.

Geno won 2 of 5 starts, including the Great White Way, a stakes restricted to progeny of New York-based stallions, on Dec. 18. On Feb. 12, he finished third in the Gander Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds. On Feb. 24, he worked a half-mile in 49.78 seconds over the Belmont training track.

It was on that same Feb. 24 morning that Happy Medium was pulled up at the end of a half-mile workout in 50.04. Though vanned off the track, Happy Medium was diagnosed with an unsalvageable injury and had to be euthanized.

Happy Medium, a 4-year-old gelding by Runhappy trained by Michelle Nevin, had an overall record of 3 wins from 5 starts and earned $168,400. From Sept. 30 to Dec. 18, he won three straight races by a combined 21 1/4 lengths. He then finished third as the 1-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Toboggan. His work on Thursday was presumably for a run in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool on Saturday.

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On Saturday at Aqueduct, Johnny Fontaine suffered an injury to his right hind leg that proved fatal during the running of the third race. He was vanned off the track but later euthanized.

Through the first two months of 2022, there have been five training-related fatalities and four-racing related at fatalities at NYRA tracks.