Suddenbreakingnews finally to be gelded

Suddenbreakingnews, the winner of the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn and a fast-closing fifth in this year’s Kentucky Derby, was scheduled to be gelded Tuesday, according to trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

Suddenbreakingnews has two undescended testicles and was to have both removed at a clinic in Lexington, Ky. He likely will be out a few months, Von Hemel said Monday. Suddenbreakingnews last raced on Aug. 6, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby. Before that, he was ninth in the Belmont Stakes at 5-1.

“The last couple of races weren’t up to snuff, and a possible explanation is that [the testicles] are bothering him a little bit where they’re at,” Von Hemel said. “We want to make sure everything is right before we lead him over again.”

Suddenbreakingnews originally had been scheduled to be gelded before he was put into training. He was listed as a gelding on his foal papers and later was found to be a ridgling, a horse with either one or two undescended testicles.

“He was thought to have been gelded, was supposed to be gelded at some point, and never was,” Von Hemel said Monday.

Suddenbreakingnews is a son of Mineshaft who races for Sonny Henderson. He won a stakes last fall at Remington Park before going on to win the Southwest and run second in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.