East End Tap, who was ridden by Carlos Lopez, fractured his Sesamoid bone on April 27, 2012 during the Governor’s Cup on St. Thomas. Photo: Aneka Edwards/VINO

The seven year-old gelding was the winner of the 3rd leg of the VI Triple Crown. Photo: VINO

This will be an antagonising decision that the horse’s trainer and co-owner will have to grapple with when the time comes.

With such an injury, Simmonds explained, East End Tap cannot compete in the sport.

“He can’t run again for sure. So we will just have to wait and see what the Vet says,” a dejected Simmonds told this news agency on Sunday April 29. “For now he is just lying down a lot because he can hardly walk.”

The seven year-old gelding was tipped to win the Governor’s Cup, however, he came in fourth behind Good Prospecting, Bud White and Berberis.

And according to Simmonds, even before the race was over, he realised something was wrong with East End Tap. “We had a strategy, and when I saw he was lagging behind I knew he was injured.”

When asked if the injury could have been avoided, the season trainer explained that “it is something that just happens, but I was hoping it never happened with him”.

“It was just a sad day for us. The Vet in St. Thomas told me to let him rest for a few weeks, but we have a Vet from Miami who will be flown in sometime next week to do some more X rays....I am just keeping my fingers crossed because that horse is part of me.”

East End Tap, over the few months, has done the Virgin Islands proud. His last victory on March 18, 2012 at the Clinton E. Phipps racetrack was a nail biting one when he beat Bud White to win the 3rd leg of the Triple Crown and a $10,000 bonus cheque.

He is part of The Boys Stables.