Samraat Headed Back to Saratoga After Surgery

Multiple grade III winner Samraat, who would have been one of the top contenders in the July 26 Jim Dandy (gr. II), is on his way back to Saratoga Race Course after having successful surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right shin.

Trainer Rick Violette said Samraat will rejoin his string the week of July 28 to continue recuperating from the procedure. Surgery was performed the morning of July 25 by Dr. Patty Hogan at Fair Winds Farm in Cream Ridge, N.J.

"The first word out of her mouth was, 'Perfect,' " Violette said. "He's recovering well and he's going to come up here either Tuesday or Wednesday and spend the first part of his rehab here."

The injury to Samraat was discovered July 20, the day after his final pre-Jim Dandy breeze over Saratoga's main track.

Samraat will be given a period of stall rest and follow-up x-rays to monitor his progress and healing. He will not race again this year, but Violette expects him to come back as a 4-year-old.

"Pedigree says that he could be better as a 4-year-old, but that's a muted consolation," he said.

A New York-bred son of Noble Causeway   owned by Leonard Riggio's My Meadowview Farm, Samraat won the Withers Stakes (gr. III) and Gotham Stakes (gr. III) and was second in the TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I). He then ran fifth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and sixth in the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), his most recent race.

Violette expressed his disappointment at missing the Jim Dandy.

"His mile coming up to it when we breezed right before we left Aqueduct was as good a mile as I've seen. And the way he did it, he finished up very, very well. It was exceptional. I thought he had put on some weight and he was a really happy camper. It was a kick in the gut."