Robert and Lawana Low's 'TDN Rising Star' Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon–Dazzling Song, by Unbridled's Song) sustained a career-ending “structural injury to a front limb” in a Saturday morning workout over the Belmont training track and was to undergo surgery Saturday afternoon at the neighboring Cornell Ruffian Equine Hospital, Jacob West, bloodstock agent to and racing manager for owners Robert and Lawana Low confirmed to the TDN Saturday afternoon. The news was first reported by the Blood-Horse.
“We're playing the waiting game right now and we're hoping that it's something that can be fixed surgically. We know he's in the very capable hands of the staff at the clinic,” West said when reached by phone Saturday afternoon.
Bred in Kentucky by Ramona Bass, Magnum Moon was debut winner at Gulfstream Jan. 13 and earned the 'Rising Star' designation with a smooth two-length success in a two-turn Tampa allowance Feb. 15. The $380,000 Keeneland September graduate ran his unbeaten streak to three in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park Mar. 17 and was the wire-to-wire winner of the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 14. Though he was well-beaten in the GI Kentucky Derby, Magnum Moon had emerged from a month off to record three previous workouts at Belmont, including a best-of-eight five furlongs in 1:00.80 June 16.
“He'd been training as forwardly as we hoped,” West reported “He bounced out of the Derby better than he went into it and we were really looking forward to a solid 3-year-old campaign and maybe even a 4-year-old campaign, but that's on the back burner now.”
West added that the Lows were taking the news in stride.
“They're good. The good thing about this horse is that he's got incredible owners,” West said. “They've been in the game for a long time and they understand that things like this happen. But it's still never easy to swallow. They were very adamant that they were very emotionally tied to the horse and wanted to give him the best chance they can for recovery. He's got the best owners in the game for that.”
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Magnum Moon amassed earnings of $1,177,800.
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