Jonathan Lintner

@JonathanLintner

Equine surgeons and veterinarians on Thursday unsuccessfully attempted to save Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Dance With Fate, who was euthanized after a serious training injury earlier in the morning.

The Peter Eurton-trained colt, who finished sixth in this year's Kentucky Derby, was galloping at about 5:30 a.m. at Del Mar in California when he bolted toward the outside fence, tossing exercise rider Joe Durant. While Durant was transported to a local hospital, Dance With Fate returned by ambulance to Eurton's barn on the track's back side.

The 3-year-old suffered the rupture of two of his three large patella ligaments in his right rear leg.

"Words can't express what we're feeling right now. With an extremely heavy heart we report Dance With Fate was unable to survive his injuries," Eurton posted to his Twitter account just after 2:30 p.m. "Thank you for all of the support during a rough time like this. The joy he gave us will never be forgotten."

Dance With Fate was training toward Saturday's $200,000 San Diego Handicap having not raced since the Derby. Eurton had also entered the son of Two Step Salsa in the Belmont Stakes, but a bout of colic on the eve of the race prevented him from running.

In an interview with the Daily Racing Form about Dance With Fate's incident, Eurton echoed that "we're looking to do what we can to save him."

Dance With Fate won three of his nine starts and has three times finished runner-up in graded stakes competition. His earnings totaled $680,050, and he appeared stout headed into the San Diego Handicap having worked five furlongs in 58.40 seconds last Saturday at Del Mar.

Jonathan Lintner can be reached at (502) 582-4199. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanLintner.