Sherriff’s Deputy, dam of Curlin, was euthanized July 19, 2012, at Fares Farm near Lexington, Ky., due to complications from laminitis. She was 18.
At the time of her death, the bay mare with a white star was the dam of seven foals that had raced.
Her last foal was a weanling filly by Distorted Humor. She was not bred in 2012, the year she died.
Curlin, by Smart Strike, was Horse of the Year in 2007 and 2008.
Bred by Fares Farm and foaled in March 1994, Sherriff’s Deputy was by leading broodmare sire Deputy Minister out of multiple graded stakes-winning mare Barbarika (by Bates Motel).
Smart Strike, two-time champion sire in North America, succumbed to laminitis March 25, 2015. He was 23.
The stallion, a 16-2 hand bay with a star, was foaled in 1992.
He was buried at Lane’s End Farm near Versailles, Kentucky, where he stood.
The farm did not release the cause of the laminitis, but visitors in January 2015 noted that his feet were in casts.
The stallion was by Mr. Prospector out of the Canadian Hall of Famer Classy ‘n Smart.
Smart Strike was bred and raced by Ontario-based Sam-Son Farm. He won six of eight starts, including the Grade 1 Philip H. Iselin Handicap by 2 1/4 lengths at Monmouth Park as a 4-year-old. His career earnings totaled $337,376.
He retired to stud in 1997, siring 112 stakes winners, 12 champions, four Breeders’ Cup winners and two classic winners. He produced 1,523 foals in all. His progeny earned more than $118 million. They include two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, Lookin at Lucky, My Miss Aurelia and English Channel.
Smart Strike shared a Lane’s End stud barn with son Curlin, and his 2015 stud fee was $100,000.
Strike the Gold was put down On Dec. 13, 2011, at Karacabey Stud Farm in Turkey after suffering a fractured left front pastern in his paddock. He was 23.
Born March 21, 1988, the chestnut stallion had front white socks with a white star, small stripe and snip.
He had battled laminitis throughout the year but was considered in relatively good health.
According to a Turkey racing official, the stallion had a heart attack in his paddock and fell, leading to the fracture.
Veterinarians were able to wake the horse but chose to put him down due to the injury.
Strike the Gold was the 1991 Kentucky Derby champion and the oldest living Derby winner. He had been a stallion in Turkey since 1999.
Bred at Calumet Farm, he was by Alydar out of Majestic Gold (by Hatchet Man).
He won six of 31 career starts for earnings of $3,457,026 and was Nick Zito’s first Derby winner.
Strike the Gold entered the breeding shed at Vinery in Lexington, Ky., but was sold to Turkey in 1998.
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized on Jan. 29, 2007, at New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania after a battle with laminitis watched around the world. He was 4.
The dark bay colt had white socks in front and a star and snip.
Barbaro won the Derby by 6 1/2 lengths in a romp with Edgar Prado aboard in May 2006.
He shattered three bones in his right hind leg in the Preakness, leading many to wonder if he’d survive the initial injury.
Dr. Dean Richardson of New Bolton Center was able to rebuild the right leg only to see the left hind foot develop laminitis in July 2006.
Barbaro’s early recovery from laminitis looked promising. However, after he developed an abscess in his right hind foot and laminitis in both front feet, owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson, along with Richardson, made the decision to euthanize him.
Barbaro was born April 29, 2003, at Sanborn Chase farm near Nicholasville, Ky., and owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackon’s Lael Stables of West Grove, Penn. He was by Dynaformer out of La Ville Rouge.
He earned $2,302,200 in his career. He was trained by Michael Matz.
Sunday Silence, winner of the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, died Aug. 19, 2002, after battling laminitis for 14 weeks. He was 16.
The stallion died of heart failure at about 11 a.m. at Japan’s Shadai Stallion Station Hayakita, Hokkaido, where he had stood since 1991.
Sunday Silence underwent surgery July 18, 2002, for an infection in his right front leg, the third operation trying to treat the leg. The infection failed to heal, and he carried more weight on his other legs, with laminitis developing first in the left front and then in the hind legs.
During his final three days, he remained standing due to his discomfort, and he was given heavy doses of painkillers. He finally lied down hours before his heart stopped, even as his owners were discussing whether to put him down.
He was Japan’s top sire from 1994 to 2000, producing 43 stakes winners.
Sunday Silence was horse of the year in 1989 after winning the first two legs of the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He won nine races in 14 starts for $4,968,554.
His battles with Easy Goer during his Triple Crown campaign stirred memories of Affirmed’s duels with Alydar 10 years earlier. Sunday Silence was ridden by jockey Pat Valenzuela and trained by Charlie Whittingham.
The black horse had a white sock on his right hind leg and a stripe.
He was born March 25, 1986. Sunday Silence was by Halo out of Wishing Well (by Understanding).
This video is long but addictive once you start watching.
Triple Crown winner Affirmed was euthanized Jan. 12, 2001, due to pain from laminitis. He was 26.
The 16-1 hand chestnut had a distinctive blaze that was easy to identify in each of his stretch runs.
In October 2000, Affirmed dislocated his left front pastern joint in a paddock accident at Jonabell Farm in Lexington Ky., where he stood at stud for 10 years. Following the injury, he overloaded his right front and developed laminitis in that hoof. He was moved to Rood & Riddle Hospital, where Dr. Larry Bramlage performed surgery to repair the left front pastern.
The horse was recovering well at Jonabell when exercising led to additional problems that aggravated the laminitis.
He returned to Rood & Riddle on January 8, and Bramlage recommended euthanasia.
Affirmed remains the last winner of the Triple Crown, in 1978, and his epic rivalry with Alydar made it an exciting year. He was ridden by young jockey Steve Cauthen, who said after his death: “He was basically the best horse I ever rode.”
Patrice Wolfson said she hoped people would remember the champion for being kind, gentle and versatile under all circumstances.
Affirmed retired with 22 wins out of 29 races for $2,393,818. He won Horse of the Year honors at ages 2, 3 and 4.
The horse entered stud at Spendthrift Farm, then moved to Calumet Farm and then to Jonabell Farm in 1991.
He was syndicated for $14.4 million dollars and sired more than 80 stakes winners.
Affirmed was born Feb. 21, 1975, at Louis and Patrice Wolfson’s Harbor View Farm in Florida. He was by Harbor View stallion Exclusive Native out of the mare Won’t Tell You. He was trained by Laz Barrera.
Racing legend Secretariat was put down on Oct. 4, 1989, at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, after a month-long battle with laminitis. He was 19.
Nicknamed Big Red, the 16-2 hand copper-colored chestnut had three white stockings (right front and both hind legs) and a star, stripe and snip. He was born March 30, 1970, at the Chenery family’s Meadow Stud in Doswell, Virginia.
After Secretariat’s death, Claiborne Farm president Seth Hancock discussed the decision, saying Secretariat’s caretakers couldn’t stand to see him suffer. Hancock admitted that a radical procedure might have given the stallion a little more time but said Secretariat had been too good to the world to go through any more pain.
The horse developed laminitis on Sept. 4, 1989. He improved to the point that he could graze in a paddock, but he lost ground suddenly on Oct. 3, 1989, the day before he was euthanized.
In his racing career, he won 16 victories in 21 starts over 16 months, with earnings of $1,316,808.
The first triple crown winner in 25 years, he broke the race records for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1973, and those records still stood as of 2020. He won the Kentucky Derby by 2 1/2 lengths with a record time of 1:59 2/5, the first sub-2 minute Derby. He ran a blistering early race in the Belmont Stakes and then kept picking up speed, winning by 31 lengths in 2 minutes 24 seconds, more than two seconds faster than the record.
In the run-up to the Belmont, he appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated.
A son of Bold Ruler, he was out of Somethingroyal (by Princequillo).
Secretariat was trained by Lucien Laurin and ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte. Owner Peggy Chenery had him syndicated as a stallion for more than $6 million to save her father’s farm. The horse was retired to Claiborne Farm after his 3-year-old campaign. He stood for 16 seasons at Claiborne and sired 653 foals, 57 of them stakes winners.
