From the NY Daily News
Sad ending for beloved Saginaw at Saratoga
Making his 41st career start on Friday afternoon, the 7-year-old gelding took a bad step on the turn for home, fracturing both sesamoids in his left front ankle, and was later euthanized in the barn of trainer David Jacobson.
By Jerry Bossert
SARATOGA SPRINGS — He didn’t win the Kentucky Derby or a Breeders’ Cup race, but Saginaw will always be remembered as one of the gamest, bravest horses who raced in New York.
Making his 41st career start on Friday afternoon, the 7-year-old gelding took a bad step on the turn for home, fracturing both sesamoids in his left front ankle, and was later euthanized in the barn of trainer David Jacobson.
Entering the race, Saginaw had won 21 races, including his last five.
Saginaw, the 4-5 favorite in the seven- furlong race and carrying 130 pounds with jockey Junior Alvarado aboard, was tracking the pace of Bernie the Maestro before taking a bad step and was immediately pulled up by Alvarado.
“He was going good, and was ready to start to pick it up,” said an emotional Alvarado, who had ridden Saginaw in his last seven starts, winning six times. “I heard this bad sound; he was still pretty much brave, he pulled up himself.”
Veterinarians quickly got to the bay gelding and put a brace on his left ankle before putting the injured animal on the equine ambulance, where he was brought back to Jacobson’s barn on the Saratoga backstretch.
X-rays were taken and confirmed the double fracture, which necessitated him being euthanized. The ankle would have no support, putting extra stress on the blood vessels and the suspensory ligament, which likely would tear.
“It was explained to me he’ll be in pain for two or three months and there’s a very good chance he could develop (an inflammation),” Jacobson told the Daily Racing Form. “It doesn’t seem to be the right thing to do based on the experts that have advised me. Money is not an issue. It’s just the pain that he would go through.”
Saginaw became the fifth race-day fatality at Saratoga this year, one more than last year.
“It’s a very sad day,” Jacobson said. “He brought us a lot of joy. It was an honor to work with a horse of his caliber.”
There are still 34 races left at Saratoga, which will set the record for races run at a 40-day meeting — 420 — before closing on Labor Day.
-- The final Saturday features 12 races, led by the Grade I Woodward Stakes, along with the Grade I Forego Stakes and the Bernard Baruch.
The Woodward is led by the Bob Baffert-trained Paynter and Successful Dan.
