from Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Lexington, KY — Little Brown Jug winner Shadow Play could travel to Lexington’s Red Mile for the October 4 Tattersalls Pace after getting some time off to recover from a foot abscess. The injury surfaced during Shadow Play’s two-heat victory in the September 18 Jug; the first in 1:50 and the second in 1:50.1, setting the world record for combined time.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Shadow Play has banked $572,446 this year with 11 wins in 20 trips to the post.

“He’s doing very well now,” said Dr. Ian Moore, a veterinarian who is the trainer and co-owner of Shadow Play. “I put the harness on him and jogged him a couple laps today (September 22). He was sound on the track; he’s just a little tender to the touch. I think he’s going to need a couple more days to totally heal up there. I expect no complications and he should be fine in a couple days.

“The current plan is to jog him Wednesday or Thursday again. If he’s fit, I’m going to train him on the weekend. If he’s fine, then we’re probably going to supplement him to the Tattersalls. My partners and I are going to discuss it. We’re also discussing the Messenger and the Progress Pace.”

Shadow Play’s foot injury dampened some of the celebratory mood surrounding the Jug win for Moore and fellow owners Serge Savard, who won eight Stanley Cups as a player with the Montreal Canadiens and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Ron and Gail McLellan.

“(On Friday) morning, you could push on the inside heel on his right-front foot and it looked like he was going to pop an abscess. We just soaked his foot and poulticed him and gave him some painkilling medication. On Saturday, he was really bad. You could tell by the stall he had a very restless night. We peeled the poultice off and he had a big bulge in the heel and it was very tender. Now, it was coming to a head. Unfortunately, you can’t rush those along; you have to ride them out. At 2 (o’clock) we peeled the poultice off and in doing so it opened up a couple little holes. I asked my daughter to start walking him and within minutes there was pus pouring out of the side of the foot. Within five minutes he was walking soundly. It was just like a miracle.

“It made us very happy because it was an agonizing two days with him, that’s for sure. It ended up as what most horse people will consider a relatively minor injury. It was an up-and-down deal, that’s for sure, but it ended up pretty good.”

Shadow Play, driven by David Miller, has won 11 of 20 races this year and earned $572,446. The son of The Panderosa-Matt’s Filly, won the Adios earlier this season.