Saginaw suffers fatal injury at Saratoga

Popular New York-bred gelding Saginaw, who was unbeaten in five starts this

campaign, had to be euthanized after breaking down in Friday's

3RD

race at Saratoga, according to published reports. Owned by trainer David

Jacobson and Drawing Away Stable, the 10-time stakes winner was closing in on

millionaire status with $974,690 in career earnings.

Saginaw, last year's New York-bred champion older male, was coming off

successful title defenses in both the June 1 Affirmed Success at Belmont and

August 1 John Morrissey at the Spa. Sent off as the 4-5 favorite in Friday's

starter/optional claimer, the seven-year-old veteran tracked pacesetter Bernie

the Maestro through an opening quarter in :23 4/5. But then Saginaw broke down

nearing the half-mile mark, and regular rider Junior Alvarado pulled him up.

Bernie the Maestro went on to wire the seven-furlong affair in a final time

of 1:22 2/5, finishing 2 1/2 lengths clear of another old warhorse, Caixa

Eletronica.

Meanwhile, the stricken Saginaw was loaded onto the ambulance and vanned back

to the barn. According to an interim statement from NYRA Veterinarian Dr.

Anthony Verderosa, the gelding sustained an injury to his left front ankle, and

results of his X-rays were pending.

As fans both on track and on social media expressed their well wishes, and

great concern, for the valiant campaigner, Daily Racing Form's David

Grening broke the gut-wrenching news.

"I'm sorry to report that Saginaw did not make it," Grening tweeted. "He

fractured both sesamoids in his left foreleg."

Tributes to Saginaw immediately poured in on Twitter, including poignant ones

from Alvarado in both English and Spanish:

Saginaw won six races for his original connections, owner/breeder Ted Taylor

and trainer Chad Brown. Claimed for $25,000 by the owner/trainer tandem of

Robert Falcone and Dominick Schettino out of a score at Belmont on June 5, 2011,

he was subsequently haltered by Sullivan Lane Stable and trainer Rick Dutrow for

$35,000 on February 2, 2012.

In his very next start at Aqueduct on March 8, 2012, Dutrow dropped him in

for a $30,000 tag, and Saginaw romped by 13 1/4 lengths. That was his only

outing for Dutrow, for Jacobson and Drawing Away were quick to claim him

themselves.

Saginaw won his next four as well, highlighted by stakes victories in the

Carr Heaven and Affirmed Success. His five-race streak was halted when last of

six in the Metropolitan Handicap, but the bay would go on to win 10 of his

ensuing 13 starts. Rebounding in the John Morrissey by five lengths, Saginaw

also landed last season's Promenade All, Fourstars Allstar and Gravesend and

placed in the Hudson and Alex M. Robb.

After opening 2013 with a typically gutsy decision in the February 18 Hollie

Hughes, Saginaw continued to show his fighting spirit when wiring the March 21

Compelling World and a May 12 starter/optional claimer. He overcame traffic to

get up in time for a repeat win in the Affirmed Success, and employed similar

tactics to notch his 10th stakes tally as the defending champion in the John

Morrissey.

Saginaw compiled a mark of 41-21-6-3. Ten of those wins came in 2012 alone,

tying him for the most of any North American Thoroughbred last year.