Unbridled Bled During Defeat

Trainer Carl Nafzger said Sunday that Unbridled, the sixth-place finisher in Saturday’s Pimlico Special, had bled internally during the race.

A trickle of blood from the lungs and a small amount in one of his nostrils was found when Unbridled was examined after the race. Nafzger said he didn’t immediately announce the 4-year-old colt’s condition because he didn’t want to detract from the three-length victory by Farma Way.

Unbridled was treated with Lasix, the anti-bleeding medication that he was given before winning the Kentucky Derby last year.

Unbridled ran twice last year in New York, which prohibits horses from running on medication. He was fourth in the Belmont Stakes and won the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a victory that clinched the 3-year-old championship. He didn’t bleed in either race.

“His bleeding Saturday was about a seven on a scale of one to 10,” Nafzger said. “It makes you leery when you don’t know what happened.”

Nafzger said that he will ship Unbridled to his barn at Arlington International Racecourse in suburban Chicago. He had said before the Special that he wouldn’t run Unbridled in any more handicaps this year, because he felt some of the weight assignments have been unfair. On Saturday, Unbridled carried high weight of 122 pounds, three more than Farma Way.