A day after finishing second to Bernardini in the $1 million Travers Stakes, Bluegrass Cat retires with a fractured right hind pastern bone, WinStar farm president Doug Cauthen announced on Sunday. Following Saturday’s race at Saratoga, radiographs taken discovered the 3-year-old Bluegrass Cat to be significantly lame in his right hind leg. The injury is not considered life-threatening.
Top 3-year-old, Bernardini ran away from Bluegrass Cat in the stretch en route to winning Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. With this win, Bernardini could be on his way to winning the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year.
A $7 million equine hospital near Belmont Park is expected to open by June 2007, giving thoroughbred owners there and at Aqueduct a nearby option when their racehorses need care. Urgent care for multimillion-dollar racehorses was in the spotlight this year after Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro broke three bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the May 20 Preakness.
EXINGTON, Kentucky (Ticker) - Saint Liam, the 2005 Eclipse Award winner as Horse of the Year, was euthanized Tuesday after injuring his hind leg, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported on its web site.
Lost in the Fog, the 2005 Eclipse Award winner as sprinter of the year, has cancer in his spleen and abdomen and his trainer said Friday that the 4-year-old colt will have to be put down soon. The horse underwent an exploratory procedure Friday that determined the cancer in his spleen had spread, said veterinarian, Don Smith, in a conference call with trainer Greg Gilchrist.
Lava Man is the first horse to sweep Southern California’s “big three” grade I handicaps in the same year after winning Del Mar’s $1 million Pacific Classic by 2 1/2 lengths over Good Reward on Sunday. The 5-year-old California-bred son of Slew City Slew added the Pacific Classic trophy to his victories in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup July 8 and the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap March 4.
Chace City darted to the lead and won the $200,000 Saratoga Special Breeders Cup Stakes at Saratoga on Thursday. Ridden by Edgar Prado, Chace City dueled with Shermanesque from the start, opened up a narrow lead on the turn and sprinted to the finish, turning back a late run by King of the Roxy.