Issue link: http://nytbreeders.epubxp.com/i/471532
44 New York Breeder | nytbreeders.org | March 2015 Gallant Gander kopoulos off at home. After Terranova took over, Gander, now at home in New York, began to rattle off one big race after another. Af - ter Gander fnished second in the 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, they had a big decision to make. In order to run in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) they had to shell out a $400,000 supplementary fee to make him eligible. Mike fgured they would bring out the whole family and "have a blast," which they did, even though Gander fnished ninth at odds of 64-1. He did, however, make a big move from 10th on the far turn to pull within about two lengths of the leaders. The following year they ran Gander in the Breeders' Cup Classic again follow - ing his gutsy victory in the Meadowlands Cup. Once more he made a big sweeping move on the far turn to reach contention but tired to fnish ninth again at 80-1. As an 8-year-old, Gander won the Kings Point, but after two dull efforts afterward he was sent to Saratoga with the plan to run him two more times and then retire him. "He was scheduled to breeze on a Monday," Gatsas recalled. "It was one of the rare times I didn't go watch him breeze because I was traveling home at the time. No one could believe I wasn't going to be there, but I said, 'He'll be fne,' and told Matt to give me a call when he's back in the barn. I got a call from Matt and he's in tears. All he said was, 'Gander broke down.' I asked him how bad it was, and he said, 'It's not good.' They got him back to the barn and discovered a fracture, but it wasn't a typical fracture. Instead of going up and down it went across the bone. "I called all around and then spoke to Dr. (Larry) Bramlage and told him I would fy him up to Cornell on a private jet, but he's got to save this horse. He said the best vet in the world was Dr. Alan Nixon who was right there in Cornell. I called Dr. Nixon, who was ready to get on a plane to go to Germany to give a speech on how to fx these types of injuries. I said, 'Listen, I'll pay whatever it costs; can you stay and take care of the horse? I'm not taking no for an answer.' He didn't deserve to go like that. Dr. Nixon agreed to operate on him and was able to save him." Gander eventually was sent to Sue Vitro near Rye, N.Y., and she fell in love with the horse, spending most of her time with him. There was still the danger of laminitis setting in; and there were days the Gatsases thought he was going to founder and they were going to lose him. But under Vitro's care, Gander made a complete recovery. He remained with Vitro for seven or eight months before being brought back home to be close to the Gatsas family. "We sent him to Peter Fuller's farm, which was only 10 minutes from the For more information visit our website or call 518.388.0174 nytbreeders.org | 518.587.0777