Noel Daley told Trot Insider this morning that 2008 Metro Pace winner Major In Art "won't appear until late September, if at all" this season due to a
hind suspensory issue which revealed itself early last week.
"In looking to get him qualified, I went a training mile with him last Tuesday (May 12) in 1:58 and he was no good," Daley told Trot Insider. "He got a lot of attention. We had everybody look over him and we just couldn't find anything."
Daley explained to Trot Insider that the three-year-old Art Major colt was then taken to the New Bolton Centre, where it was discovered that a high suspensory injury is the culprit and is located right under a hock.
"He's a big horse and the injury is not in a good spot," Daley told Trot Insider. "This horse is going to have to go at some high speeds if he is going to compete to the level where we want him to compete this year. At best, he may be back by some of the stakes at Lexington and maybe some afterward, but at this point we just don't know."
Daley explained to Trot Insider that the horse's connections sold the colt's down under breeding rights last year.
"At this point, he's in my barn, but he won't be for long," Daley told Trot Insider. "He's supposed to be picked up by next week. I think they will shock the leg and then give him about a month of stall rest. After that, the situation will be re-assessed and then a decision will be made from there."
Major In Art compiled a record of 6-1-2 from 10 starts last year, banking $896,060 and taking his mark in 1:50.4.
Besides the Metro, the bay captured the Woodrow Wilson and the Goshen Cup at the Meadowlands and also won a Breeders Crown elimination. The colt was trained in 2008 by Justin Lebo and is owned by the Major In Art Stable of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.