The Breeders Crown picture for two-year-old pacing fillies took a dramatic change when trainer Jimmy Takter revealed that World Champion American Jewel will be sidelined for the rest of the year
and require surgery to mend a broken sesamoid bone.
Takter thought the filly was showing signs of lameness after suffering her first loss on Friday night, losing narrowly to Big McDeal in a 1:50.2 thriller at the Red Mile.
Takter checked American Jewel in at Rood & Riddle Equine Clinic in Lexington, KY on Saturday morning, where the P-1 break was diagnosed.
"They told us the prognosis is very good, and normally in two to three months it will be healed," Takter said to harnessracing.com.
"This filly never had a lame day, never had a bad day, never had a vet bill except for when she bumped her left front ankle once."
The homebred of top harness racing nursery Brittany Farms, American Jewel (American Ideal - Trim Hanover) was a two-time world record holder in her freshman campaign. She equaled the 1:50.3 world record for pacing fillies in her She's A Great Lady elimination at Mohawk Racetrack before lowering it a week later in the final by one-fifth of a second. In nine starts, American Jewel amassed $669,291 in purses.
Hopefully she will recover
Hopefully she will recover and come back better than ever as a 3 year old :)