Prognosis Positive for Coal Front Following Surgery

Multiple graded stakes winner Coal Front is in good order after undergoing surgery at a New Jersey clinic for a condylar fracture in his right front Sept. 25, co-owner Sol Kumin said, and has a positive prognosis for a return to the races.

Coal Front captured the Gallant Bob Stakes (G3) at Parx Racing Sept. 23 but emerged from that outing with the injury. The 3-year-old son of Stay Thirsty  is expected to be sidelined for approximately four months and has already returned from this injury once before, having suffered a condylar fracture in his left front as a 2-year-old.

"The surgery went really well. He had two screws inserted and the bottom of the fracture is in great shape, and a lot of times that is not the case," said Kumin, who owns Coal Front in partnership with Robert LaPenta. "So far it's good, fingers crossed and knock on wood.

"Obviously it happened to his other leg before. We'll have to see (if he can come back) but he's a fighter. Talk about the highs and lows. We win the race, we're all like 'What do we do next? Do we go to the Cigar Mile? Do we go to the Breeders' Cup?' And two hours later ... it was 'oh man'. But we'll hopefully have him come back. There is no reason he shouldn't be able to come back from this."

Coal Front's half-length win in the six-furlong Gallant Bob was the second graded win this year for the lightly-raced dark bay colt. The Todd Pletcher trainee captured the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course July 29 and suffered his lone loss in five career starts when he finished fifth in the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) Aug. 26. With four wins, he has earnings of $411,000.

"You do the right thing, you give them the right care and you cross your fingers that he wants to go on (after this)," Kumin said. "If he doesn't, we'll figure it out. But you hope he does because he has a lot of talent."