Geaux Rocket Ride to Undergo Joint Fusion Surgery

Geaux Rocket Ride  will undergo surgery Oct. 29 at the Southern California Equine Hospital on-track at Santa Anita Park after sustaining an injury yesterday morning during a workout.

The colt was pulled up soon after entering the stretch of a scheduled seven-furlong breeze under jockey Mike Smith. He appeared to stumble in mid-stretch, to which Smith quickly brought Geaux Rocket Ride down to a halt, dismounted, and helped support the colt's injured leg until the on-track ambulance arrived.

Geaux Rocket Ride walked on to the ambulance to be evaluated and Smith was uninjured.

The grade 1-winning son of Candy Ride   was diagnosed with a displaced condylar fracture and ligament suspension stretching in his right foreleg. TVG's Michelle Yu reported Sunday morning that the colt is scheduled for arthrodesis surgery, also known as a joint fusion. The surgery will essentially weld together the broken bones to stabilize the joint.

Trainer Richard Mandella told Yu that Geaux Rocket Ride was being a "wonderful patient" back in his stall and had been laying down a lot to ease the stress on his injured leg.

Owned by Pin Oak Stud, Geaux Rocket Ride had been preparing for a start in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) before his injury.

The improving 3-year-old, a winner of the Haskell (G1) and Affirmed Stakes, was an unlucky second to Arabian Knight  last out in the Sept. 2 Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar.