Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s Smarty Jones Stakes winner Junebugred has a bone chip in his ankle and will need arthroscopic surgery to have it removed, taking him off the Triple Crown trail.
“It’s tiny, little and brand new but it’s going to knock him out for about 90 days,” said trainer Steve Hobby Wednesday morning, one day after discovering considerable filling in the colt’s left front ankle. “The good news is there’s no damage to the joint or anything like that, so the prognosis is good.”
Junebugred exits a division of the Grade III Southwest Stakes on Feb. 20 where he finished sixth behind Castaway. The son of Corinthian won the Smarty Jones in January in what was only his third career start.
Hobby had been at a loss to explain the disappointment in the Southwest, but says this development made it clear.
“I’m surprised it took a week to show up,” he said.
The colt will ship Thursday to Rood & Riddle Equine Center in Lexington for the surgery and recover at Diamond A Farm.
“It’s disappointing, but maybe we’ll end up counting our blessings,” said Hobby. “He’s a small horse, and who knows what rushing and forcing him into something like (the Triple Crown) might do. In this case, we will let him get better and find the best spots for him when we get him back.”
Alicia Wincze Hughes is the turf writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. She started riding at age 8 and was a four-year member of the Pace University equestrian team.
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