Suspensory strain forces Finnick the Fierce to sidelines

The popular one-eyed gelding Finnick the Fierce, who was scratched from last Saturday's Kentucky Derby the day before the race, will get a month off from training after being diagnosed with a minor suspensory strain that is not career-threatening.

Finnick the Fierce, who is owned by veterinarian Arnaldo Monge and trainer Rey Hernandez, was scratched from the Derby by his connections after official veterinarians expressed concern over the gelding's way of moving on the track. Monge said that Finnick the Fierce, who lost his right eye as a foal, has always had an abnormal gait, as he cocks his head to the right for a better field of vision.

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“The injury was very hard to detect, both because it was so slight and also due to Finnick’s altered way of going," Monge said in a release distributed by the connections on Friday. "Even back at the barn on Thursday after he came back from the track, we couldn’t immediately identify it, as he cooled out and was walking sound around the shed row."

Monge is a member of the practice at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., specializing in equine reproduction, acupuncture, and chiropractic techniques. He therefore sent Finnick the Fierce to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, the other renowned medical facility in Lexington, for complete diagnostics following the scratch, in order to receive an independent opinion. There, Dr. Larry Bramlage diagnosed the gelding with what Monge described in the release as "a slightly enlarged proximal suspensory ligament with no fiber disruption.”

"In layman’s terms, it’s a strain, not a tear, and his prognosis is good for a full recovery," Monge said.

After 30 days of rest, Finnick the Fierce could resume full training in October. Finnick the Fierce was Grade 2-placed as a juvenile and third in a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby this past spring.

“Racing-fit horses don’t lose much condition in 30 days, so we’re hopeful he can make a start sometime in November or December,” Monge said. “That being said, it’s not about a particular race or schedule – it’s about the horse. The horse always comes first. That’s why, as disappointing as it was to let go of that once-in-a-lifetime dream to run in the Derby, it was an easy decision, because it was about the horse and what’s best for him.”