During the running of the Breeders’ Cup Classic Thoroughbred race, George Washington was injured and subsequently euthanatized. Following is a report from the Breeders’ Cup notes team from an Oct. 27 interview by Erin Wing with AAEP On-Call veterinarian Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, FRCVS, DSc, DrMedVet (hc), Dipl. ACVS, Barbara Cox Anthony Chair and Director of Orthopedic Research at Colorado State University (CSU), immediately after the injury.


Eric Wing: We are live in the interview tent right now. Before we bring in the winning connections of Breeders’ Cup Classic Powered by Dodge winner current link, we have with us Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith, the on call veterinarian of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). We saw George Washington was eased late in the race. Can you give us an update on what is going on with George Washington.


Dr. McIlwraith: George Washington sustained an open fracture of the cannon bone in the right front fetlock joint and disarticulated the joint at the same time and had both sesamoid fractures broken. So it was a hopeless injury as far as repair, and he has been euthanatized

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