RACEHORSES

THOROUGHBREDS: In Memory Of

RACEHORSES

Boomzeeboom Suffers Fatal Breakdown
by Margaret Ransom
Date Posted: 7/25/2004 8:35:48 PM
Last Updated: 7/25/2004 8:35:48 PM
Grade III winner Boomzeeboom was euthanized on Saturday morning after suffering a catastrophic injury to a cannon bone in a workout a Del Mar.
The 3-year-old son of Unreal Zeal won the Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood Park in June and was also third in the Swaps Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. II) in his last start on July 10.

"We're just crushed," trainer Vladimir Cerin said. "He was special; it was like having a gelding, not a colt in the barn."

Boomzeeboom, who raced for the partnership of John Karubian, Alan Landsburg and Larry Postaer, won three of 10 starts for $190,096. He was being prepared for a start in the Aug. 8 Haskell Invitiational Handicap (gr. I) at Monmouth Park.

Copyright © 2004 The Blood-Horse, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Grade 2 winner Puzzlement euthanized

Posted: 6/22/2004 9:27:00 AM ET

Multiple graded stakes winner Puzzlement was euthanized on June 16 at a Florida equine clinic after failing to recover from a tendon infection he developed in late February.

The five-year-old son of Florida-bred son of Pine Bluff out of Taine, by Sir Ivor, had not raced since finishing fourth, 12 1/2 lengths behind Medaglia d’Oro, in the Donn Handicap (G1) on February 7 at Gulfstream Park. He won the Hal’s Hope Handicap (G3) on January 3 at Gulfstream by a neck over stablemate Bowman’s Band.

"He had that infection and they kept trying to get it, but they couldn’t," trainer H. Allen Jerkens said on June 20. "It’s too bad. He was a nice, nice horse; very honest. And he was nice to be around, too."

Puzzlement’s biggest win was a 3 1/4-length score in the 2003 Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2) at Saratoga Race Course. He finished second in the 2002 Peter Pan Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park and third in both the ’03 Woodward Stakes (G1) and Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2).

Owned and bred by Joseph Shields Jr., Puzzlement won six of 22 career starts and earned $717,590.

Jerkens trains Honor Point, a three-year-old by Honor Grades and a half sister to Puzzlement, for Shields. Honor Point has started her career with two wins in four starts.

"It’s a nice family," Jerkens said.—Jeff Lowe

Grade 2 winner Devious Boy dies from virus
Posted: 7/25/2004 2:48:00 PM ET

Devious Boy (GB), winner of the 2003 Oak Tree Derby (G2) at Santa Anita Park, died in May from complications of a virus.
The four-year-old son of Dr Devious was in the midst of a break when he developed the virus following a third-place finish to Leroidesanimaux (Brz) in the Inglewood Handicap (G3) at Hollywood Park on May 1, Daily Racing Form reports.
Trained by Kathy Walsh for owner James Vreeland, Devious Boy also won a division of the 2003 Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar and finished second in the La Jolla Handicap (G3) and Del Mar Derby (G2).
Out of the Night Shift mare Oh Hebe, Devious Boy won five of 17 career starts and earned $286,220.

Fourstardave was a special horse
The New York-bred won a race at Saratoga for eight straight years, an unparalleled feat

Posted: 10/26/2002 ET
by Bill Heller

FOURSTARDAVE died the way he had lived, helping the New York State breeding program. Brought back to New York from his home in Ocala to lead a post parade of retired state-breds on October 19, New York Showcase day, the 17-year-old gelding was jogging on the training track at Belmont Park four days earlier when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

If ever a horse deserved to die on the racetrack, he was the one. There were few like him. And, now, in an age when 20 to 30 starts often define a top horse’s career, who will match what he accomplished?

Fourstardave’s race numbers, while impressive-21 victories, including 13 in stakes, in 100 career starts and earnings of more than $1.6-million-do not tell the whole story. Nor does the fact that he and his kid brother, Fourstars Allstar, who also was a state-bred champion and earned $1.6-million, were one of the greatest brother combinations in recent racing history for breeder-owner Richard Bomze, a publisher who is president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.

But that’s not why a street in Saratoga Springs, New York, now bears his name, as does a stakes race at Saratoga Race Course-the former Daryl’s Joy Stakes (G3), a race Fourstardave won twice at Saratoga-plus an award created by the New York Turf Writers Association.

From his two-year-old season in 1987 through his next-to-last season of racing at the age of nine in 1994, Fourstardave won a race at Saratoga Race Course every year. That is, every single year, for eight years, Fourstardave won at least one race at arguably the toughest race meeting in the world. How many horses today even have careers that span eight years?

And Fourstardave was not slumming it in low-grade, New York-bred allowance company at Saratoga. He was winning on both turf and dirt and in stakes company, both restricted and open.

On dirt against New York-breds at Saratoga, he won the 1987 Empire Stakes for two-year-olds and the ‘88 Albany Stakes for three-year-olds.

But Fourstardave was best on grass, and he won the West Point Handicap for New York-breds in both 1989 and ‘91, and the Daryl’s Joy in open company in both 1990 and ‘91 at Saratoga.

He also won open stakes on the road, taking the Poker Stakes (G3) on grass at Belmont in both 1989 and ‘93, and, in what his trainer Leo O’Brien thought was perhaps Fourstardave’s best effort, the 1988 St. Paul Derby (G2) at Canterbury Park on dirt.

At Saratoga, though, Fourstardave was at his absolute best, winning nine times in 21 starts. "It was strange what happened to him when he came to Saratoga," O’Brien said. "He loved Saratoga and the people loved him back."

And his legend grew each summer when Fourstardave returned to Saratoga attempting to extend his streak. He extended his streak long after all the horses he faced earlier in his career had long been retired, a lasting tribute to O’Brien’s horsemanship.

Even when he lost, Fourstardave did little to diminish his reputation. He finished second 18 times and third 16 times. You would have to do an extensive search through films of his races to find a race where he did not try his hardest to win.

Fourstardave wanted to win them all, and by doing so in open stakes, he, as well as his brother, sent a message that New York-breds could compete at the highest level. Long before Say Florida Sandy, Critical Eye, and Gander were showing their competitiveness at the top level of racing, Fourstardave was leading the way.

The day after his favorite horse died, Bomze was asked what first comes to mind when he hears Fourstardave’s name. "How much joy he brought us," Bomze answered. "He had a spirit about him, a tremendous heart and will to win. That’s probably what killed him. He was so excited to be back on the track."

The grand gelding had been brought back to the track to bring a little more attention to New York-breds, a habit he picked up by being so successful while he raced.

Fourstardave still ranks as the third-leading New York-bred earner of all time, and his brother is right behind him in fourth. But in racing, earnings records are the most fragile of all, and he is sure to slip down the list as the years pass.

Winning a race at Saratoga for eight straight years may last forever, though. Only a special horse could do that.

Shortly before his death

Siphonic Dies from Heart Attack
Date Posted: 10/2/2002 7:21:01 PM
Last Updated: 10/8/2002 4:48:06 PM

Prompted by gorgeous October weather and the chance to glimpse Azeri, a crowd of 13,120 showed up to ring in Oak Tree's 34th autumn season on Oct. 2. But the day was not without tragedy. About the same time Azeri was making her way back to the barn, a small group of track hands were gathering outside the track's receiving barn, preparing to haul out the body of Siphonic, the grade I-winning colt who died just minutes following a promising comeback.

"I've been in this job for 12 years, and I haven't had this happen," explained state veterinarian B. William Bell. "This is the first one that's ever died in the receiving barn."

It was indeed a sad and unfair ending for Siphonic, a son of Siphon who earlier this year was considered one of the leading Triple Crown prospects in the nation. When an untimely ankle problem stunted his progress in mid-spring, trainer Dave Hofmans merely got his bearings and set his sights on a year-end campaign. The colt's return came amid great anticipation, and he responded with a typical solid effort, dropping a tight photo going seven furlongs.

Just moments following his post-race bath in the receiving barn, however, Siphonic collapsed. Bell was summoned and immediately feared the worst.

"You know, I've been in this business for 35 years, and you just get a feeling for things sometimes," he explained. "Some horses come here with heat stress, but he didn't have those same symptoms."

With great difficulty, the 3-year-old was urged into a nearby stall. Seconds later, he collapsed a second time and died.

"Before he went in there he whinnied," remembered Bell. "Once you've heard that sound, you never forget it. It's not a scream for help. But people that have been around horses a lot have heard it. It has a tone to it--they're dying."

His body was sent to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in San Bernardino. There, a preliminary post-mortem examination, performed by Dr. Barbara Daft, revealed Siphonic had been stricken with cardiac arrhythmia--a heart attack. He was owned by John and Jerry Amerman. b

Tempera

Winning the 2001 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Tempera Euthanized
by Deirdre B. Biles
Date Posted: 4/29/2002 11:22:34 AM
Last Updated: 4/29/2002 12:34:08 PM

Godolphin Stables' Tempera, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2001, was euthanized the evening of April 28, said Tom Albertrani, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Tempera had already been removed from consideration for the May 3 Kentucky Oaks.

The filly became ill April 26 at Churchill Downs, and was sent to Hagyard-Davidson-McGee veterinary clinic near Lexington. She had a fever, but her condition worsened.

"Her condition got really bad," Albertrani said. "It developed into colitis, and then laminitis. It's hard to believe that her condition went so bad in 24 hours. They couldn't do anything to help her."

Tempera won last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Belmont Park. The victory helped her bag an Eclipse Award.

Imperial Gesture will now be Godolphin Racing's lone representative in the Kentucky Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile classic for 3-year-old fillies.

2001 Beldame Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park

Exogenous

Exogenous, Injured Prior to Distaff, is Euthanized
by Steve Haskin
Date Posted: 11/2/2001 12:11:16 PM
Last Updated: 11/4/2001 4:37:35 PM

After battling for almost a week, Exogenous finally succumbed to the severe head injuries suffered prior to the Oct. 27 Breeders' Cup Distaff. After being down in her stall since Wednesday morning and unable to get up, the daughter of Unbridled finally was euthanized at 3 a.m. Friday by New York track veterinarian Nancy Brennan.

"She just got disoriented," trainer Scotty Schulhofer said from his home in Florida. "When I left New York on Monday, she was bright and eating, and seemed to feeling good. I thought for sure she had turned the corner. But when I heard she was down in her stall and wasn't able to get up, I knew she'd likely have to be put down. She was beating herself up pretty bad and had lost all coordination."

Schulhofer's veterinarian Dr. Steve Carr was on his way to Kentucky Friday morning and said he had nothing to add to Schulhofer's comments.

Exogenous, one of the favorites for the Distaff was just about to walk on to the track from the tunnel when she reared and flipped over backwards, striking her head against the ground, while getting her feet entangled in the moveable railing. It took several agonizing minutes to extricate her and get her on the ambulance and back to the barn. The initial diagnosis was that she had suffered a severe concussion, and although not out of the woods, the prognosis was good.

Then, she took a turn for the worse. "Most likely, the brain began to swell again," Schulhofer said, "and it was necessary to put her down. It's a terrible shame. She was such a beautiful filly."

2001 Vosburgh

Grade I Winner Left Bank Dead
Date Posted: 10/8/2002 2:11:20 PM
Last Updated: 10/14/2002 3:02:23 PM

Michael Tabor's Left Bank, who won this year's Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga over a particularly strong field, died Oct. 7 from complications brought on following colic surgery.

A week after Left Bank won the Aug. 3 Whitney in track-record-equaling time, the 5-year-old son of French Deputy out of the Dr. Blum mare Marshesseaux showed signs of distress. He was treated at trainer Todd Pletcher's barn, then sent to Tufts New England Veterinary Medical Center's Hospital for Large Animals for emergency abdominal surgery. Dr. Carl Kirker-Head, the head of section of the Large Animal Hospital, performed the surgery. Left Bank later left the clinic and arrived at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., the end of August to begin recuperating. Tabor is an associate of Ashford's parent company, Irish-based Coolmore Stud.

Bred by Fletcher Gray and John Youngblood, Left Bank stepped into Eclipse Award contention with his Whitney triumph over a Street Cry, Lido Palace, Macho Uno, Unshaded, and Saint Verre and moved up to third on the NTRA poll. His earlier wins this year came in the seven-furlong Tom Fool Handicap (gr. II) in track-record time of 1:20.17 at Belmont Park and in the Bold Ruler Handicap (gr. III).

Left Bank's career record of 14 wins from 24 starts and earnings of $1,402,806 included victories last year in the Cigar Mile Handicap (gr. I) and Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) and a triumph in the 2000 Discovery Handicap (gr. III).

Pletcher has been hit hard the last several months. He suffered the losses in August of grade II-winning 2-year-old filly Freedom's Daughter and promising 3-year-old Warners.

2002 Schuylerville Stakes

Schuylerville Winner Freedom's Daughter Dies
by Ron Mitchell
Date Posted: 8/13/2002 9:33:34 PM
Last Updated: 8/15/2002 3:16:43 PM

Padua Stable's Freedom's Daughter, winner of the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. II) in her second career start, died Monday after suddenly becoming ill over the weekend.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said the initial diagnosis is that the juvenile daughter of Saint Ballado died from Colitis X and that an autopsy will be performed. Pletcher said the undefeated winner of both of her career starts had spiked a temperature around 5 p.m. Saturday. After responding favorably to treatment for the fever, the filly's temperature had improved Sunday morning. By noon Sunday, however, her temperature had begun to rise again. The filly was taken to the clinic near Saratoga Racecourse operated by Dr. Bill Barnes, with tests showing a low white blood count. The filly appeared to be responding favorably to treatment. By midnight, however, the filly had developed projectile diarrhea, Pletcher said, and she died around 2 a.m. Monday.

"It took her by storm," Pletcher said. "I thought we were being extremely cautious when we took her to the clinic. But that's why they call it Colitis X. They don't know what causes it or how to stop it. That is the fastest I have ever had one go."

The death of Freedom's Daughter was the second major setback for Pletcher over the weekend. Left Bank, also trained by Pletcher, underwent surgery Saturday for colic. "It takes the starch out of you," the trainer said.

Barnes said Colitis X is a large-bowel disease of the large intestine. He said its cause is unknown but that it is common in horses suffering from Potomac Horse Fever.

Padua purchased the filly for $525,000 at last year's Saratoga August yearling sale. She was consigned by Derry Meeting Farm on behalf of her breeder George Strawbridge. In her career debut, Freedom's Daughter broke her maiden by 7 3/4 lengths.

Warners Dead

Date Posted: 8/22/2002 6:53:51 PM
Last Updated: 8/23/2002 4:01:07 PM

Eugene and Laura Melnyk's 3-year-old colt Warners was euthanized late Tuesday night because he was suffering from advanced stages of laminitis.

It was the second time in 10 days that a horse trained by Todd Pletcher died after getting sick. Schuylerville (gr.II) winner Freedom's Daughter died on Aug. 12. In addition, on Aug. 10, multiple stakes winner Left Bank underwent emergency abdominal surgery. He is recovering, but is likely to be retired.

Warners became ill on Aug. 17 and was taken to a nearby equine clinic for treatment. The Dehere colt, purchased for $1.05 million as a 2-year-old, then began showing signs of laminitis.

"The complications were a result of the illness he had, which is yet to be determined exactly what it is," Pletcher said. "It's projected that it's clostridium or salmonella, or something like that. They've sent him to Cornell for an autopsy."

Within an hour after he began showing signs of being ill with diarrhea, Warners was sent to the clinic.

"We won the battle with that part of it, or were in the process of winning it, but oftentimes the problem with those situations is that they develop laminitis," Pletcher said. "That's what happened with him."

The decision to euthanize the colt was the result of the laminitis.

"He got to the point where he was starting to lose the contact with the coronet band in one of his hind feet," Pletcher said.

"Basically, he was in a real advanced stage of the laminitis and it was beyond repair or beyond stopping."

Pletcher said he is frustrated because even with tests on Warners and an autopsy on Freedom's Daughter, veterinarians have not been able to determine what is the cause of the problem.

"Now, any time you get one that even acts a little sick, you wonder whether it's a bug,or the same thing, if those two were related or contagious," he said.

"Everybody tells you no, but the bottom line is I don't think they really know. No one knows exactly what happened, how it happened, why it happened.

"We're talking about horses that were at the peak of their game, extremely healthy, in prime condition."

Warners had a record of two victories, three seconds and earnings of $101,000 from six career starts.

Guided Tour

2001 Kentucky Cup Classic

Guided Tour Euthanized in Saudi Arabia
by Ron Mitchell
Date Posted: 12/28/2001 10:43:18 AM
Last Updated: 12/31/2001 10:16:43 AM

The Blood-Horse has learned that Guided Tour, the game runner who earned the nickname "The Bus," was euthanized Dec. 21 after he broke down during a 1 1/4-mile race at Malaz racecourse in Ridayh, Saudi Arabia.

According to Moustapha Fostock, whose Buckram Oak Farm purchased Guided Tour from Morton Fink prior to his fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic, the 5-year-old gelding was running in a conditioned race that was a prep for the Jan. 11 Kings Cup. Fostock said the jockey had Guided Tour well-positioned before taking him to the outside at the top of the stretch. After switching leads or while he was switching leads, Guided Tour took a bad step and fractured his cannon bone and was euthanized at the track.

With the Dubai World Cup in the long-range plans for Guided Tour under new trainer Louis Albertrani, Fostock labeled the gelding's breakdown "a disaster. But in racing you have to take the bad with the good." Fostock said Buckram Oak may have another horse in the Kings Cup and World Cup.

Former owner Fink was saddened by Guided Tour's death.

"In my 30 years as an owner, I have never had horse like this who developed from nothing to be such a good horse," Fink said. "It was certainly a privilege to have had him."

Fink said Guided Tour had a unique personality. "He was so lazy in the morning he didn't want to do anything," the owner said. But in a race, "Larry Melancon (the regular rider) said you could put him wherever you wanted."

A son of Hansel bred in Kentucky by Woodlynn Farm, Guided Tour won 12 of 31 starts, with nine placings, and earned $1,964,253 while trained by Niall O'Callaghan. Although he did not win a grade I race, the Stephen Foster, in which Guided Tour defeated Captain Steve this year, has been upgraded from grade II to grade I for 2002.

Fink said he thought Guided Tour's final victory, in the Sept. 22 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park, was the best of his career because he changed running styles to win the 1 1/8-mile test.

"He went head to head with Balto Star and won it by neck," Fink explained. "That was not his running style but we knew we had to go with Balto Star if we wanted to win. It caught (jockey) Pat Day (on Balto Star) by surprise."

Illusioned euthanized after breaking down in Cigar Mile
Posted: 11/26/2001 11:01:00 AM ET

Illusioned, who broke down in the upper stretch in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct on November 24, was euthanized later that evening. Owned by Team Valor, Kinsman Stable, and Heiligbrodt Stable, the three-year-old Woodman colt won five of nine career starts and earned $335,726. He was trained by Bill Mott.

"He suffered a fracture of the lateral sesamoid and lateral condylar fracture," said Dr. Neil Cleary, chief examining veterinarian for the New York Racing Association.

In his previous start, Illusioned won the 7 ½-furlong Ack Ack Handicap (G3) at Churchill Downs on October 28 in track record time of 1:28.63. Out of the In Reality mare Undeniably, he was bred in Kentucky by George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Farm.

Illusioned was one of two top-notch runners to suffer fatal injuries during the weekend. Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) runner-up Spook Express (SAf) suffered a compound dislocation of her left fetlock joint near the finish of the Matriarch Stakes (G1) at Hollywood Park on November 25 and had to be euthanized.

Wynn Dot Comma dies after ankle injuries
Posted: 3/24/2004 8:41:00 AM ET

Martin Cherry’s multiple Grade 3 winner Wynn Dot Comma suffered fatal fractures to both front ankles while galloping at Calder Race Course on Tuesday morning and had to be euthanized.

The three-year-old son of Struggler (GB), who posted a game victory over top Triple Crown candidate Eurosilver in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes (G3) on March 13 at Gulfstream Park, suffered the injuries during a routine gallop under exercise rider Anthony Schweiker. Additional details were not immediately available.

Trained by Marty Wolfson, Wynn Dot Comma was considered one of North America’s top sophomore sprinters and also posted a 1 1/4-length victory over eventual Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Saratoga County in the six-furlong Spectacular Bid Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream.

Wolfson said Wynn Dot Comma would be buried at his family’s Precious Acres Farm, which is located in an unincorporated area near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.—Dave Joseph

Pensioned Belmont Stakes Winner Crème Fraiche Dead
Date Posted: 10/9/2003 12:41:16 PM
Last Updated: 10/9/2003 6:59:59 PM

Crème Fraiche, who won the 1985 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and retired as one of racing's richest runners, was euthanized Oct. 9 at Elizabeth Moran's Brushwood Stable near Malvern, Pa. The 21-year-old son of Rich Cream experienced a brief and acute case of laminitis that couldn't be stopped. He will be buried on the farm in the memorial garden at Bryn Clovis.

Bred by Pamela Firman and her nephew, G. Watts Humphrey, Crème Fraiche was sold to Moran for $160,000 at the 1983 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale. He was sent to Hickory Tree Farm in Virginia for breaking, but proved too tough to handle and was gelded.

Trained by Hall of Famer Woody Stephens, Crème Fraiche won 17 of 64 starts and earned $4,024,727. His Belmont victory, the fourth of five straight for Stephens, was achieved over Stephens-trained Stephan's Odyssey and 2-year-old champion Chief's Crown and came while Moran was new in the business. "I was spoiled too quickly, too soon," she told The Blood-Horse earlier this year on the anniversary of Crème Fraiche's Belmont win. "I was speechless when he won, but I didn't know what it meant to win the Belmont. I know now."

During his career, Crème Fraiche won consecutive runnings of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) and scored other grade I wins in the Super Derby, American Derby, Meadowlands Cup Handicap, and Jerome Handicap. He won a total of 14 stakes and placed in 25 others.

Crème Fraiche, who was produced from the Terrible Tiger mare Likely Exchange, raced to age seven before he was sent to Brushwood for retirement.

Champion Dr. Patches Dead at 28
by Kristin Ingwell Goode
Date Posted: 7/31/2002 12:23:51 PM
Last Updated: 7/31/2002 12:23:51 PM

Champion Dr. Patches was euthanized Tuesday due to the infirmities of old age. The nation's top sprinter in 1978, Dr. Patches was 28 and spent most of his non-racing days at Tartan Farms near Ocala, Fla. He was buried in the Tartan/Mockingbird cemetery, which is now part of Eugene Melnyk's Winding Oaks Farm.

Dr. Patches (Dr. Fager-Expectancy, by Intentionally) won 17 of his 47 starts and placed in 17 other races from 1977 through 1982. In fact, Dr. Patches finished second in more stakes races (10) than he won (three). He earned $737,612 while racing for Mr. and Mrs. James Binger's Tartan Farms, which also bred the horse.

In a stretch of four races in 1978 the chestnut won the Paterson Handicap at the Meadowlands over Seattle Slew, finished second by a nost to Buckfinder in the Celanese Cup Handicap at Belmont, then won the Vosburgh Handicap (gr. II) and Meadowlands Cup by a combined 5 3/4 lengths. Among the chestnut's second-place finishes was the 1979 edition of the Vosburgh.

In 1994 Harry T. Mangurian purchased 700 acres of Tartan Farms. Nearly all the farm's horses were moved or sold in 1995, except Dr. Patches. Farm manager Bryan Howlett had taken care of Dr. Patches through most of his retirement.

Veteran maiden Nationalore euthanized at Hollywood
Posted: 7/13/2000 6:11:00 PM ET

Kwon Myung Cho’s Nationalore, a career maiden who earned more than $310,000 despite never winning, was euthanized after falling in the sixth race on Wednesday at Hollywood Park.
The five-year-old gelding by Video Ranger clipped heels with another runner during the race, fell to the ground, and fractured his right shoulder. Jockey Tyler Baze suffered a dislocated finger in the accident.

Third in the 1997 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) won by Horse of the Year Favorite Trick, Nationalore finished second seven times and third seven times during his 26-race career for earnings of $318,227. He placed in four other stakes events, including a third-place finish in the 1997 Hollywood Futurity (G1) and second-place finishes in the ’97 California Sires Stakes, California Cup Juvenile Stakes, and the 2000 Harris Farms Stakes.

Promising three-year-old Highest Praise dead

Posted: 1/23/2000 ET

Horton Stable Inc.’s Highest Praise, a promising three-year-old in Dallas Stewart’s barn, collapsed on the Fair Ground track Thursday after working a half-mile in :50.20 and died, Daily Racing Form reported.
The Pleasant Colony colt out of the Buckpasser mare Sprinkle Dollars, who was purchased $550,000 at the 1998 Keeneland’s July sale of selected yearlings, had a record of 1-1-2 in four starts and had earned $38,880. He had most recently won a maiden allowance race by 3 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs on November 27.
Highest Praise’s body was sent to Louisiana State University for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

THOROUGBREDS: In Memory Of