Lexington, Ky (LEX 18) — Early morning line favorite Omaha Beach has been scratched from the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby with trapped epiglottis, according to trainer Richard Mandella.
In a recent article, the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky said:
‘The epiglottis is a movable fold of cartilage that lies at the base of the tongue. It bends upward when a horse swallows to direct feed and water through the esophagus.
Inflammation or anomalies in the horse’s airway structures can lead to entrapment, which occurs when the epiglottis becomes stuck on tissue called the aryepiglottic fold. A horse with epiglottic entrapment makes a gurgling noise while working and may be unable to sustain athletic effort due to reduced airflow.
A trapped epiglottis can become unstuck on its own, but when that doesn’t occur or if the problem recurs frequently, surgical intervention is typically appropriate says Matt Coleridge, BVMS, currently an equine surgical resident at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. In the standard procedure a surgeon, guided by an endoscope, splits the tissues of the aryepiglottic folds. “The traditional hooked bistoury technique, when performed correctly, is very quick and very effective,” says Coleridge. Depending on the tools used, however, relapse rates for this type of surgery range from 5 to 40 percent.’
Omaha Beach was the early morning favorite at 4-1, that now makes Game Winner the 5-1 favorite and Bodexpress gets into the field at 30-1, replacing Omaha Beach.
