March 29, 2024

Irap recovering after three-hour surgery

Irap won the 93rd running of the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on Saturday, April 8, 2017, with jockey Julien Leparoux aboard (c) Keeneland/Coady Photography

Trainer Doug O’Neill reported on his stable’s Facebook page Monday that three-time graded stakes winner Irap came out of surgery to repair a fractured sesamoid at the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania well.

Irap was pulled up and vanned off the Parx Racing main track Saturday after finishing a distant second to West Coast in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1).

“Dr. Dean Richardson and Dr. Ryan [Carpenter] said that Irap was/is a 10-out-of-10 in terms of a patient,” O’Neill wrote. “They were both very happy with how the three-hour surgery went.

“His coming out of anesthesia (in a pool of water) went ‘flawless’ according to both vets. Once out of the pool, he calmly walked right back to his stall. He’s such a classy colt.”

The injury was a career-ending one for the Reddam Racing-owned son of Tiznow, who compiled a mark of 13-3-4-2, $1,672,600. All three career victories came in stakes, including a maiden-breaking score in the Blue Grass (G2), the Ohio Derby (G3), and the Indiana Derby (G3).

In addition to the Pennsylvania Derby, Irap also placed in the Travers (G1), Robert B. Lewis (G3), and Mine That Bird Derby.