Gunmetal Gray's Surgery Successful, Outlook Unknown

Surgery to repair a condylar fracture that sidelined top 3-year-old Gunmetal Gray went smoothly March 24, but the horse's prognosis for returning to competition is a long way from certain.

The son of Exchange Rate, who is co-owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Pearl Racing, and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, suffered the fracture after working at Santa Anita Park Sunday morning. Fortunately for the connections, preeminent orthopedic surgeon Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith was at the track. The veterinarian delayed his travel plans and called a surgical team to California.

"They did the surgery six to seven hours after the horse had come back to the barn," said Terry Finley, founder and CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds. "It was a remarkably good turn of events."

Finley said the owners won't know for at least 90 days whether the horse will recover to the extent he can race again.

"It is not a slam dunk that he's coming back and it's not like he's done," Finley said. "The surgery went well, but we have a long road ahead. We are optimistic."

Gunmetal Gray earned 21.75 qualifying points toward a starting position in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). He currently ranks 17th on the leaderboard. The colt won the Jan. 5 Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita and was runner-up in the Feb. 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at the same track. In his last start, he finished fourth in one of the two Rebel Stakes (G2) divisions at Oaklawn Park, finishing behind Omaha Beach, Game Winner, and Market King.

"He didn't run as well as we'd hoped in Arkansas but we were feeling he ran well enough and, if he stayed on-track, we would have one more shot (at adding points)," Finley said. "This is a punishing blow, not just for the partners we have who are new to the game, but to the grooms and exercise riders who work seven days a week to see their horses go over and do well on Saturday afternoon."

Gunmetal Gray is the first stakes winner produced by grade 1-placed winner Classofsixtythree (by Include ). West Point and Hollendorfer bought the colt for $225,000 at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale out of the Brick City Thoroughbreds consignment. To date, the colt has a 2-2-0 record out of seven starts and earnings of $284,700. He was runner-up in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita at 2.