The life of champion racehorse ARROGATE is over.
The big grey, who at one time was the highest stakes earner in history, has come to a sad end after it was decided he needed to be euthanized early this morning.
He had completed three seasons at stud so you just know, the progeny he left will be super, super racehorses. Life….through death, is like that.
Maybe not to his level, because he was freakishly good.
He won the Gr 1 Travers Stakes by 13 lengths, clocking in at a stunning track record 1:59.36 for the 2000m.
He did not contest the Triple Crown of his year but during his career he thrashed the Preakness winner of his age group and also humbled the Belmont Stakes winner of his age group.
He won the 2016 Gr 1 Breeder’s Cup Classic, then returned as a 4YO to win the inaugural Gr 1 Pegasus World Cup which at the time was worth US$12 million. He broke the track record again that day.
He then won the Gr 1 Dubai World Cup. Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song-Bubbler) retired the winner of 7 from 11 and US$17,422,600 in prizemoney.
Arrogate was finishing up his 3rd season at stud when he began, last week, to show signs of strain. The original thought was that he’d maybe dislocated a disc in his neck. So a decision was made last week that covering mares for him was suspended due to the sore neck.
Later, last weekend, he fell to the ground in his stall and efforts to get him back up proved unsuccessful. He was transported to the Hagyard Clinic under the care of Dr. Bob Hunt and Dr. Nathan Slovis with Dr. Steve Reed representing the insurance company.
The clinic ran a battery of tests including spinal tap evaluation, x-ray, ultrasound, CT Scan and many blood tests, but were unable to pin down the cause of Arrogate’s issues. After four days, and the onset of secondary health concerns, the decision was made to euthanize the horse.
An autopsy will be carried out.
He was just 7 years old when he died.