Oleksandra Has Fractured Splint, May Miss Breeders' Cup

Team Valor International's grade 1-winning mare Oleksandra came out of her June 20 victory in the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park with a fractured left front splint bone and may miss the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) this fall at Keeneland.

"There's a chance we could have her ready for a race at the start of the Keeneland meet (in October) and then run her in the (Nov. 7) Breeders' Cup, but (Dr. Gary Priest) says we will need everything to go absolutely right in the next few months for that to happen," said Barry Irwin, the founder and CEO of Team Valor.

Oleksandra, trained by Neil Drysdale, will remain at Belmont Park and be treated at the nearby Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists hospital, according to Irwin.

Irwin said the injury was caused when Kanthaka, ridden by Jose Ortiz, broke from the rail and came out at the start, bumping into Oleksandra, who had post 2. The incident left Oleksandra, who was ridden by Joel Rosario, last by 11 3/4 lengths in the field of eight, but she nevertheless rallied to win by a neck over Kanthaka.

It was the seventh win in 15 starts for the homebred 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom out of the Caesour mare Alexandra Rose. Oleksandra was second in the Monrovia Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park in her previous start and has earned $537,353.

On another front, Irwin reported that graded stakes-placed Gouverneur Morris is expected to leave the Mid-Atlantic Equine Medial Center in New Jersey July 6 or 7 after being treated for colitis.

The 3-year-old son of Constitution  owned by Team Valor and WinStar Farm will need at least 60 days of rest and is unlikely to race until the Gulfstream Park winter meet, Irwin said.

Gouverneur Morris has won two of his five starts for trainer Todd Pletcher and was expected to start in the July 11 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) until he became ill less than two weeks ago. Purchased for $600,000 by Team Valor from the Eddie Woods consignment last year at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Florida select 2-year-olds in training sale, he was third behind Charlatan in his most recent start, a division of the May 2 Arkansas Derby (G1).

Charlatan was subsequently found to have tested positive for an illegal substance and faces the prospect of a disqualification in the Arkansas Derby once results of a second test are made public.

An earner of $247,500, Gouverneur Morris was second in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at 2.