Points Offthebench Suffers Catastrophic Injury

Multiple Grade I stakes winner Points Offthebench, widely favored to win the $1.5 million Xpressbet Breeders’ Cup Sprint next Saturday, was euthanized this morning after suffering a training injury on Santa Anita’s main track shortly before 8 a.m.

“He sustained a condylar fracture to his right front,” said Tim Yakteen, who trained the 4-year-old gelding for owners Donnie Crevier and Charles V. Martin. “You can’t describe your emotions. It’s sad.”

Points Offthebench won his last two races, the Grade I Bing Crosby and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. Each time he was ridden by Mike Smith, who was aboard for today’s workout but was uninjured and expected to fulfill his lone riding obligation today on 5-2 morning line choice Yes Yes Yes in the sixth race, according to his agent, Brad Pegram.

Points Offthebench was working four furlongs in company with the mare Rock and Glory, who was uninjured.

Points Offthebench, a California-bred son of Benchmark out of the Free House mare Mo Chuisle, won six of his eight career starts, with one second and one third. He earned $514,940.