Japanese star colt Danon Bourbon will undergo surgery after an injury was discovered following his impressive fifth-place finish in the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2.
The locally-bred horse, owned by Danox Co Ltd, led the field of 18 into the straight but was overtaken in the final 110 yards by Golden Tempo, trained by Cherie DeVaux. After the Grade One race over 1m 2f, vets found a knee injury.
Danon Bourbon, unbeaten in three starts in Japan before returning to America, has now been sent back to Japan. According to an update on Netkeiba, he will undergo surgery to remove bone fragments at the Shadai Clinic in Hokkaido.
Trainer Ikezoe said: 'The fracture in his knee was discovered after the Kentucky Derby. After returning to Japan, he underwent further X-rays and completed quarantine at the Japan Racing School. He will now undergo surgery... The timing of his return is undecided, as it depends on the results of the surgery and subsequent rehabilitation, but we believe he will focus on resting for the remainder of the year.'
Before the Derby, Danon Bourbon had won all three of his starts by a combined 18.5 lengths, including a clear victory in the Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama. His performance in America came two years after Japan's Forever Young was narrowly beaten in a three-way photo finish in the same race.
