Renowned Horse Racing Park Pays Tribute to Triumphs, Losses, and the Spirit of ‘Rocket’

Since a huge number of people are showing interest in the equine industry, it has a $102 billion impact on the US economy. With the growing popularity of horse racing athletes and champion horses, several horse racing farms and properties are surfacing, too. Equestrian facilities are popular for training, accommodating and gearing the horses up for battles. In the same vein, another horse farm made headlines recently.

Josephine Abercrombie, an accomplished rider in the 40s, joined her father to place her hands on 1,348 acres in Woodford County, Kentucky. Initially naming it Pin Oak, Abercrombie shifted to Thoroughbreds and established the new Pin Oak Stud after 35 years. In 1995, the Pin Oak Stud earned the National Breeder of the Year award for their exceptional performance. To sum up 2023, the farm has something to say.

Horse racing farm Pin Oak Stud is thankful for the past year

Rather than the New Year, the first day of the year 2024 has turned into a mini Thanksgiving day. In the same vein, Pin Oak Stud resorted to their X account to extend notes of gratitude to the past year. The caption reads, “2023 was year of very high highs and very low lows for us. We got the farm up and running, added a lot of members to the Pin Oak family—both equine and human, and expanded by ~500 acres”. 

Further on, this year was witness to a lot of firsts too. The caption reads, “We had our first win, our first stakes win, and our first Grade 1 win, all from the same horse… And then, we had to say goodbye to that horse far, far too early”. But sadly, one of their lows was bidding an unexpected goodbye to the torchbearer horse, Rocket. But the farm buddies are keeping Rocket in their prayers while mourning over his life-ending injury.

Remembering the Geaux Rocket Ride

Before the Breeders Cup Classic hit the racing tracks, two equines breathed their last. One of them is the Geaux Rocket Ride, owned by Pin Oak Stud. After a stumble during the practice sessions, Rocket suffered a condylar fracture. During high-speed workouts, if large loads are transmitted, the cannon bone gets fractured, leading to fatal outcomes.

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Pin Oak Stud praised Rocket’s undying spirit and wrote, “His mind and his spirit never quit, but his body never recovered from surgery. He had a very rare response post-op and he wasn’t able to stand up again. He fought hard and our team of vets tried everything they could.” Prior to this injury, the horse had suffered a fever with a high white cell count. Though his death was not unforeseen, the farm still remembers him for his contributions.

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