In memory of the champions who departed us......

----- george washington ( 2007)

The last segment was centered around this years triple crown and horses in it, but this piece is dedicated to those horses who have died, I know there are thousands but these are the ones we are all familiar with.

1) Seabiscuit : For those who have never heard of him, he was the true 'cinderella' story of horse racing. When he was born , he was not beautiful, big like his competitors such as War Admiral, and he was smaller than most race horses. He had a nasty attitude and his owners struggled with him, but they found a jockey named Red. Red and Seabicuit were a perfect match and they won several races in California. He was known for coming from behind and running twice as fast as his much larger competitors and he had heart. His big race he is known for is the match race with War Admiral, which he won. This little pony showed the world that you do not have to have the size to win, but a heart for the race. Does this sound like a recent horse? Mine that Bird- Ahhh yes, the little gelding who won the 2009 derby , 50-1 longshot. He was small, and he came from behind- kinda like seabiscuit , eh? Just like seabiscuit he was a longshot, a huge underdog but he proved he could run and win.

2) Secretariat- Laminitus claimed this beautiful champion... The greatest horse ever alive, who won the Triple Crown by an astounding 31 lengths at the Belmont Stakes. I wish there were more like him because he showed how good horses could be. He was beautiful, large and when he died they found out he had an abnormally large heart. I believe he was one of a kind and I do not think we will see another horse like him for a very long time if not ever. He won the Belmont and made the rest of the field look like claimers, and although he was slightly unsuccessful as a stud, he remains in our minds and hearts for eternity. In 2010 I had the opportunity to meet his jockey, and he still remains a tough man. He is older now, and is wheel chair bound but he still is the same- hard headed and determined.

3) Devil May Care- She recently passed away due to cancer. I got to see her in person at the 2010 derby and I had her picked as my top 3. To see her in person was truly an honor, and she had a presence about her that turned heads. She was tall, and she was taking on the boys in the derby, and she had a good shot at winning. The most amazing feature about her that I remember was her paint like blaze, which looked like paint had just been spilled on her face. She had a look of determination on her face , and beautiful eyes. She didnt win the derby but she did win some other races before she was diagnosed with hepatitus. May she rest in peace....

4) Ruffian- I never saw her because she was way before my time but I have seen videos of her. I believe she would have beaten Foolish Pleasure in the match race that ultimately claimed her life and would have won horse of the year. She was tall, black and had the body and looks of a colt her age. She was fast, and if you ever watch a video of her, you will notice she was never last, she was always led the way start to finish.

5) Eight Belles- 2008 Kentucky derby was her final race. I remember watching that race and thinking a filly could actually win, and maybe be the first filly triple crown winner. I felt she could have won the Oaks easily and this could have been too much for a filly to accomplish. It was a beautiful derby day, no rain and the track was dry and fast. She loaded into the gate well and ran well, and was going to finish 2nd to Big Brown. She didnt give up, and even though she was a filly she ran 2nd to Big Brown- who would later go on to win the 2nd leg and nearly become the first triple crown winner in 30 years. She crossed the finish line and I remember breathing a sigh of relief that no one got injured , but then the dreaded phrase came " Eight Belles has broken down". She had to be euthanzed and what followed was a series of debates about horse racing, and steroid use and whether racing is ethical.

6) George Washington- people may not remember him , but he ran in the 2007 Breeders Cup classic, which was sadly his last race. He was a European horse who was retired and brought back to racing after proving unsuccessful in the breeding shed. He was a beautifully bred colt, with bangs hanging down on his face. He broke down in the classic and had to be euthanized.

7) Marias Mon- Sire of Monarchos- died of old age.

And I have saved the most memorable horse for last- Barbaro.

In the 2006 Kentucky Derby a beautiful colt by the name of barbaro won by a huge margin, and was set to be the next Triple Crown hopeful. I remember that was the first year I was exposed to horse racing , and that day my mother rushed home and made me watch the race on youtube. I was amazed by his grace and beauty and I didnt know much at the time about the crown at all. I remember the Preakness and I remember how I devastated I was that he broke down. I re-watch the video of the Preakness and I believe if he had not broken through the gate early, he might still be alive. He was rushed to the hospital and had surgery and his chances of living were below 50, but he overcame Laminitus, and various infections to survive until January of 2007, when he laminitus finally claimed this colt's life. His legacy is now living on through his brothers- Nicanor, Lentenor and soon to be Margano ( his 2010 brother). Because of Barbaro we have a higher awareness of Laminitus and are now trying to find a way to treat and cure this awful disease that has claimed so many great champs.