Runhappy On the Shelf for 60 Days

Trainer Laura Wohlers reported June 11 that champion male sprinter Runhappy has been diagnosed with a bone bruise on his right front cannon bone and will be on the shelf for 60 days. The son of Super Saver   is expected to return to training sometime in August.

Winner of his past six starts including the NYRA.com King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I), TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I),  and Malibu Stakes (gr. I) last year, for owner James McIngvale, Runhappy had returned to galloping at the Kentucky Training Center the first of May.

"He had been reluctant to gallop," Wohlers said. "He'd jog all day long, and he had no problem when he galloped the wrong way. The fact he was reluctant to gallop the other way suggested something was wrong. Now we know why."

Dr. Larry Bramlage looked over the 4-year-old colt, discovering the bone bruise via nuclear scintigraphy. Comparing the situation to California Chrome   a year ago, time off should do the trick.

"California Chrome came back great after some time off," Wohlers said. "We'll give 'Happy' 60 days and see where we are.

"If you catch it early enough, then the injury will resolve itself," she said. "If you keep training, you can develop a chip or condylar fracture. It leads to bigger problems. Dr. Bramlage told me that most leg injuries in Thoroughbreds begin with bone bruising.

Wohlers is confident Runhappy can return to the Breeders' Cup, which will be run this year at Santa Anita Park in Southern California. A long-term goal for Runhappy would be the inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup (gr. I) Jan. 28, 2017.

Runhappy will remain at the Training Center north of Lexington along with three other horses in training with Wohlers. Runhappy is expected to receive his usual eight hours of turnout a day.

Bred by Wayne, Gray, and Bryan Lyster, Runhappy is out of the Broken Vow   mare Bella Jolie. Runhappy, a $200,000 Keeneland September sale yearling, is 7-0-0 in eight starts and has earned $1,481,300.