“Hurts My Heart”: Equestrian Community Grieves the Passing of $1 Million Breeders’ Cup Sprint Champion

The equestrian world has faced scrutiny regarding the practice of euthanizing horses due to injuries, a topic that raises significant concerns within the industry. While equestrianism is a captivating sport, incidents of horse fatalities have sparked considerable debate and concern among enthusiasts. Sadly, yet another heart-wrenching tragedy has occurred, as a Grade 1 winning horse lost its life last Friday.

Speightstown, the Eclipse Award-winning Champion Sprinter of 2004 and a highly influential sire in North America, was euthanized on Friday, Dec. 8, due to age-related foot issues.

Equestrian mourns the loss of sprint champion

Yesterday, Barbara Livingston shared a heartbreaking post on X, leaving the equestrian community in shock with the news of his passing. The post bid farewell to the 2004 sprint champion, SPEIGHTSTOWN. It was captioned as,” Goodbye, 2004 sprint champion SPEIGHTSTOWN, whose death at age 25 has been announced by WinStar Farm. The brilliant son of Gone West – Silken Cat, by Storm Cat, won 10 of 16 starts for owners Eugene and Laura Melynk, and trainer Todd Pletcher. Condolences to the many who loved him.”

Speightstown, a revered sire at WinStar Farm, was humanely euthanized due to age-related foot problems. Elliott Walden, WinStar’s president and CEO, praised Speightstown’s legacy and thanked the team for their exceptional care during his 19 years. Speightstown’s remarkable $2 million purchase at the 1999 Keeneland July Sale marked the start of his influential racing career.

Notably, he triumphed in the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, securing his place as a champion sprinter and winning $1,258,256 in his racing tenure. As the post gained traction, people poured their sentiments into the comments section, expressing their heartfelt thoughts and emotions.

Heartfelt tributes

Amidst the multiple comments, a few stood out. One commenter deeply expressed their grief and mourning, saying,” He was a fantastic race horse and even better sire.”

Another commenter expressed – “The Gone West dynasty has been dear to me so long.”

Acknowledging the horse’s swiftness, one commenter expressed, “Godspeed beautiful….. Condolences to all of his people”

Reflecting on a cherished past encounter, a commenter reminisced, “he was such a ham when I visited in 2015- the only stallion that came right up to me on the fence line and very silly. R.I.P.”

One last commentator expressing heartfelt sorrow by saying, “Such an amazing runner and sire. ”

A demise like this, and a very grave one at that has rocked the very innards of the horse racing community.

Read More: Equestrian World Mourns the Passing of $704,230 Worth Horse, After His Thrilling Triumph in Grade 3 Stakes

Very rarely does an equine grace the global stage to this extent. Known adequately for his umpteen victories, but also his demeanour. He will live on in all our hearts.

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