Danzig Moon Breakdown Mars Plate Trial

Charles Fipke's homebred Danish Dynaformer closed gamely to win the $150,000 Plate Trial  by three-quarters of a length, holding off a late run by Conquest Curlinate June 14 at Woodbine, but the Queen's Plate prep race was marred by the fatal breakdown of Danzig Moon.



John Oxley's Danzig Moon, trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Julien Leparoux, was tracking early leader Midnight Trace into the backstretch during the 1 1/8-mile test when he broke down and dropped back rapidly through the field.



The 3-year-old son of Malibu Moon   then collided with R U Watchingbud, sending both jockeys, Leparoux and Emma-Jayne Wilson, to the ground. Replays showed Leparoux springing up to grab Danzig Moon's reins, but the colt had sustained a broken right hind leg and was later euthanized, according to Woodbine spokesman Keith McCalmont.

"The injury consisted of a compound fracture and the horse was humanely euthanized," said Dr. Grey Taylor, veterinarian for the Ontario Racing Commission. "The horse will go for a (necropsy) at (Equine Guelph Hospital) this afternoon."



McCalmont also reported both jockeys and R U Watchingbud were unhurt after the incident.



"Julien is OK, but we are heartbroken over Danzig Moon," Leparoux's wife, Shea, said on Twitter.



Danzig Moon was last seen racing to a sixth-place finish in the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I), and also ran fifth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) earlier this year.



Danish Dynaformer, trained by Roger Attfield and ridden by Luis Contreras, was previously third in the Marine Stakes (Can-III) at Woodbine May 16 and had allowance and maiden special weight wins at Keeneland and Gulfstream Park, respectively, prior to that.

"(Danzig Moon) was right behind me when that happened, but I was on the outside," Contreras said. "I felt sorry for that horse... There was a lot going on, but you can do anything with this horse. He's very relaxed and calm. Everytime you ask him, he goes."



The son of Dynaformer sat in seventh as Midnight Trace set fractions of :24 and :48.68 through a half-mile, avoided Danzig Moon after the breakdown, and improved to fifth as Portree took command and hit six furlongs in 1:13.13. Third into the stretch, Danish Dynaformer rallied to hit the wire in 1:49.81 for the 1 1/8 miles on the all-weather track.



The winner paid $9.90, $4.90, and $3.40 across the board. Conquest Curlinate delivered $4.40 and $3.10, while Conquest Boogaloo 1 1/4 lengths back in third, brought $6.70 to show.



Danish Dynaformer was bred in Ontario out of the Danehill mare Danish Wildcat.