Surgery Considered Successful For Injured Prince Lucky

Graded stakes winner Prince Lucky, who suffered sesamoid injuries in his right front leg during the Dec. 14 Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park and was pulled up a quarter-mile into the race, had successful surgery Dec. 16, owner/breeder Daniel McConnell said.

McConnell credited the gelding's rider, Hall of Famer John Velazquez, for preventing what could have been a more damaging injury by pulling up the horse quickly as the field raced down the backstretch. At that stage, Prince Lucky had been racing head-to-head with the eventual third-place finisher, Bodexpress, in a race won by veteran War Story.

"He is expected to have a full recovery," McConnell said. "Now we need to find him a home. We were very happy the operation was so successful."

Plans on where he will spend his days in racing retirement have not been finalized, but McConnell mentioned that Brian Sanfratello, executive secretary of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, reached out to him after the race, inquiring about Prince Lucky joining Pennsylvania's Turning for Home racehorse retirement program.

Prince Lucky, a 4-year-old son of Corinthian, was foaled in Pennsylvania. He was retired with a 7-1-2 record from 16 starts, winning five stakes, topped by the Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2) and Hal's Hope Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream this year for trainer Todd Pletcher. He earned $607,570.

McConnell, who heads a small breed-to-race operation with his family, owns several of Prince Lucky's siblings and his dam, the Great Notion  mare Lucky Notion. Some of her progeny still with McConnell include Lucky Olivia Rose, a 2-year-old filly by El Padrino; Katesaluckygirl, a yearling filly by Uncle Lino ; and Queen Lucky, a Birdstone  weanling filly.

Lucky Notion is booked to Goldencents  in 2020, McConnell said.