Desert Party to have ankle surgery

DESERT PARTY (Street Cry [Ire]), who ran disappointingly in Saturday's

Kentucky Derby (G1), finishing 14th in the field of 19, has sustained an injury

to his left front ankle and will undergo surgery.

"After the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Desert Party underwent a series of

x-rays which revealed a chip in his left front ankle and the displaced chip now

requires surgery," Godolphin's Racing Manager Simon Crisford said. "Obviously

his injury contributed to his below par run in the Kentucky Derby."

Desert Party, who was ridden by Ramon Dominguez, started at 14-1 in the 1

1/4-mile classic, but finished 21 3/4 lengths behind the victorious Mine That

Bird (Birdstone).

The winner of the Sanford S. (G2) at Saratoga last summer, Desert Party

wintered in Dubai for trainer Saeed bin Suroor, where he captured the U.A.E. Two

Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3) before finishing second to stablemate Regal Ransom

(Distorted Humor) in the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2). Regal Ransom fared the better of

the two Godolphin colts on Saturday, finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby.

"Desert Party will have a period of time out of training and we hope to get

him back to the racetrack for the second half of the season," Crisford added.

"The plan is for him to remain in training as a four-year-old."