A horse, nearing retirement, collapsed and died at the end of a race at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The five-year-old Thoroughbred, Will Call, is believed to have died from a heart attack or heat stroke as the ninth race of the day came to an end.
Will Call’s owner, Richard Klein, commented on the stallion to Blood Horse:
He was a neat horse. Everybody that loved him said he’s kind, he was fun to be around at the barn, he had a personality, loved peppermints. This one (hurts) just because of me owning the stallion and trying to make the stallion, just everything he’s accomplished, just trying to get him there. He was just a neat horse.”
During his career, Will Call won nearly $355,000 – his trainer, Brad Cox, mourned the horse’s loss on Twitter, writing:
It is with a heavy heart we said goodbye to a barn favorite, Will Call. Rest In Peace.
#RestInPeace@maygator1#WeWillMissYou
It is with a heavy heart we said goodbye to a barn favorite, Will Call. Rest In Peace. #RestInPeace @maygator1 #WeWillMissYou pic.twitter.com/aMBq90JVXc
— Brad H. Cox Racing (@bradcoxracing) June 29, 2019
A necropsy will be performed on Will Call to determine exactly what caused his death. His owner does not believe that it had anything to do with the track conditions.
Horse racing has been under fire from a slew of deaths this season. The beleaguered Santa Anita Park track in California has suffered 30 horse deaths since December.
(Screenshot)
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Temper tantrum!
GLAD YOU’RE IN HEAVEN, SWEET WILL CALL!
“HELL” IS WAITING FOR YOUR COLD BLOODED MURDERERS!