By Sue Finley
One day after fetlock arthrodesis surgery to repair broken sesamoids in her left front leg, Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) spent an uneventful day at Steve Asmussen's barn at Santa Anita, according to David Fiske, racing manager for co-owner Ron Winchell.
“No significant change from yesterday,” texted Fiske in response to a TDN request for an update.
“(She) splits her time between lying down and standing at her stall door eating hay. At this stage, that feels like a win. No news is good news.”
Echo Zulu was working in company with stablemate Gunite (Gun Runner) on Friday morning at Santa Anita when she suffered the injury. She was operated on Saturday by California veterinarian Dr. Ryan Carpenter.
“The surgery went very good,” said Carpenter on Saturday after the surgery. “She's up and headed back to the barn. From this point on, we take it day by day. These cases are not out of the woods for the next four to six weeks but every good day is a day closer to a successful outcome.”
In 2023, Echo Zulu won the GI Ballerina H., GII Honorable Miss H., GIII Winning Colors S. Her overall racing record was 11 starts, with nine wins and earnings of $2,640,375.
Fiske said it was too soon to determine what happens next for the four-year-old filly, trained by Steve Asmuseen.
“Too early to say,” he said. “Steve will go out sometime in the near future to better assess the situation. Then we can look at our options. A lot will depend on when she is deemed able to travel.”
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