Almost a year after that ill-fated weekend in Henderson, Kentucky, Bold and Bossy is not only back to optimal health, but she just recently made her first start in a $17,000 maiden special weight at Belterra Park. The filly grew leg weary and settled for third, but for Ewing and those who had a hand in nurturing her back to health, the race was unquestionably a major victory.

“It's sort of like being a parent and you have a child that has a great difficulty or a sickness or injury,” Ewing explained. “You nurse them and you don't know what the outcome is going to be and then when it's really positive, there's a very big sense of, I guess, pride. There was a lot of commitment there, a lot of time and a lot of energy. I'm just happy to see her healthy and happy.”

A $15,000 Fasig-Tipton October graduate, Bold and Bossy was one of three yearlings purchased by Ewing in the hopes of having success in lucrative summer 2-year-old races. As the trio went through the breaking process at The Thoroughbred Center, Bold and Bossy was by far the most difficult trainee.

“She was quirky,” Ewing recalled. “Even after six weeks as they were starting to gallop in the field, she would still throw in some bucks. The other two would be walking through the gate, but she would want to just run through.”

Despite her headstrong character, the filly proved to be the most forward of the three and was the first to make it to the races in August. Ewing entered her at Ellis Park, but the filly got spooked alongside the pony in the post parade. She lost balance and fell on her side, unseating jockey Miguel Mena, and was soon off and running.

“I was back in Lexington thinking how we got her all the way down there and now we were going to have to start back at zero,” Ewing recalled. “My assistant Kelsey called me and told me she was gone. I said, 'What do you mean, she's gone?' and Kelsey told me that she had disappeared.”

Escaping the outriders, Bold and Bossy sped down U.S. 41 N, Interstate 69 and Veterans Memorial Parkway. She crossed state lines into Indiana before she finally started to tire and was caught by a policeman and trainer Jack Hancock. She returned to Ellis in the horse ambulance and immediately received fluids.

Ewing opted to keep the filly at Ellis overnight so that she could rehydrate and relax before shipping home in the cool of the morning instead of loading her in a trailer for a three-hour haul home in the heat of the afternoon that day. It was a good idea in theory, but early that next morning, the receiving barn caught on fire.

“She was actually rescued by one of our groom's brothers,” Ewing noted. “I think there were five horses in the receiving barn and she was the last one out. She had been burned and we were worried about smoke inhalation.”

Bold and Bossy was back in Lexington at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital by 9 a.m. that morning and spent three days in an air conditioned stall there. While the filly had no lung damage, the burns on her topline eventually led to her losing the hair and skin from her withers to her hindquarters. She had also lost two shoes when she got loose and had incurred severe hoof damage from running on the hot pavement of the highway.

When Bold and Bossy made it home to The Thoroughbred Center, additional fans were put in the stall to keep flies off her injuries. She was hand-walked daily until November and then went to the farm of Ewing's veterinarian Dr. Joe Morgan where she enjoyed daily turnout and continued to heal.

Early this year, Bold and Bossy again returned to The Thoroughbred Center. Her feet were healthy and while she did have scarring along her topline, the burns were completely healed. Ewing wasn't sure if the 3-year-old would be interested in returning to training, but she figured it was worth a shot.

“Since we're a racing barn and I bought her to race, I thought we would just see,” Ewing explained. “We put a saddle on her and we put a couple of extra pads on to protect her. Our number one concern was if the scarring would bother her, but it didn't. She went back into training and never had a day that she didn't want to go to the track or that she went off her feed. She was very forward and happy.”

As a member of the board of directors for the Secretariat Center, Ewing was quick to add that if the filly had not been interested in racing or had been in any way uncomfortable, she would have found a second career.

For now, Ewing said that they are pointing Bold and Bossy toward a second start at Belterra Park in the coming weeks. She admitted that the filly would probably never drop to the claiming ranks.

“It is a business, but there's so much time and energy and maybe fondness with her that I'm not sure I'd want to put her in for a tag. There's an extra aspect of making sure she has a really good outcome.”

Looking back on all that has happened with the appropriately named filly since she first arrived at Ewing's barn as a yearling, the trainer said she is proud of all that her team has accomplished in getting Bold and Bossy back to the starting gate.

“[When the fire happened], I couldn't believe it,” she said. “I thought that this filly was such a bad-luck horse. But now, I think maybe she's a good-luck horse because she survived. When I look at her now, which is almost a year to when this happened, she's healthy and she has matured and it's really unbelievable. I think she will still improve. She might be a next-time winner. I'm always confident. If you're not confident, you wouldn't be a trainer.”

The post The Comeback Filly: How Bold and Bossy Made it Back to the Starting Gate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“The investigators just left and they determined that lightning hit the main service pole and it sent all the electricity right to the box in my barn and caused the fire,” Ward said Sunday evening.

Since his own win at Royal Ascot, Strike the Tiger had become a regular companion for Ward trainees heading over to the prestigous meet.

“He had been with me forever and he started us off at Royal Ascot,” Ward said of the 15-year-old gelding. “We had just flown Dr. Wayne McIlwraith in to do surgery on his hock–he had a little issue with his hock–so he would be up in time to go back to Royal Ascot. That's why he was in the barn. It's heartbreaking. We are just sick about it.”

Of Modesto, who broke his maiden at Keeneland last April, Ward added, “He was going to go on to have a stallion career at a smaller farm.”

News of the fire was first reported by Horse Racing Nation.

The post Ward Barn Fire Claims Three Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Anyone interested in bidding on the season to Ready's Image, but cannot attend the ITOBA Banquet, they can contact Michael Lauer with a maximum bid by calling: 502-639-1536

Other fundraising efforts for the farm include efforts on GoFundMe, which looks to reach and surpass its goal of $10,000. Also, custom t-shirts featuring the Springcliff Farm logo and the words “#SpringcliffStrong” are being sold for $20 each, with all proceeds going towards the family. Information on the t-shirt can be found online.

The post Season to Ready’s Image to be Auctioned as Fundraiser for Springcliff Barn Fire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The post Indiana’s Springcliff Farm Destroyed by Fire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Owners Christine and Vince Cagle have spent the morning contacting broodmare owners to alert to their loss as well as working with surrounding farms and veterinarian agencies to make arrangements for surviving horses. A final count of horses perished and those injured has not been made as of press time.

As of press time, a cause has not been confirmed. South Central Indiana experienced high winds and dropping temperatures throughout the past couple of days.

Updates regarding the fire will be made as more information is discovered. For now, the family asks for privacy and respect for the horses, owners and everyone involved.

The post Indiana’s Springcliff Farm Destroyed By Fire, Number Of Horses Lost Unknown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The barn was engulfed in flames in a matter of 20 minutes and those on the scene say the man of the moment was Prado, with assistance from fellow Kenneally grooms Cristobal Munoz and Estuardo Godoy. Brendan Walsh's grooms Salvador Hernandez and Jose Garcia also were involved, including extricating their stable pony, the retired racehorse Scuba, from the barn.

“They are guys who have been with us a long time,” Kenneally said. “They are good people, so their natural instinct is to try to help. If there's a situation where you're needed, they're the type of people who will jump in and do the right thing.”

Prado noticed the flames while emptying a wheel barrow and yelled to his coworkers. According to those at the scene, Prado jumped into action and one by one retrieved the six racehorses, getting them out by their halters without a lead shank and handing them to his colleagues, who then found empty stalls for the horses.

Prado estimated it took “two or three minutes” to get the six horses out. Five minutes later, he said the barn was completely immersed in flames. Seven fire departments assisted to extinguishing the fire.

Asked later why he went back into the flaming barn, Prado said: “There wasn't any option. The horse had to get out.”

“Racing is a way of life. Taking care of our horses is a way of life,” said Michael Ann Ewing, owner and trainer of Bold and Bossy who was involved in the fire a day after getting loose on the highway. “These guys who stepped in–most of them I've never met–they're heroes. They just dropped everything. Especially those guys who ran into a burning barn without thinking and saved seven horses. Because it could have been really bad.”

“These acts of bravery are a testament to the real folks who represent this industry in largely unseen capacities and actions,” said Ellis Park racing secretary Dan Bork. “To do what they did, to run into a building engulfed in flames–and then go about their business as if nothing ever happened, like what they did wasn't anything out of the ordinary–they're true heroes with their totally selfless acts of courage.

The post Ellis Park to Honor Backstretch Workers Who Rescued Horses From Fire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“What happens to them if something happens to me?” flashed through his mind, Prado said recently. Then he went back into Ellis Park's burning receiving barn and got the last horse out. After that, he resumed cleaning out the stalls of the horses in his care for trainer Eddie Kenneally. Ellis Park is located in Henderson, Ky.

Asked later why he went back into the flaming barn, Prado said: “There wasn't any option. The horse had to get out.”

The next day, Prado was back in Louisville, where he lives. His wife had labor induced, their daughter born two months prematurely.

A lot of people across America have heard the story of Bold and Bossy. That's the 2-year-old filly who got loose in the post parade and ran off the track and over the levee before going onto the highway and interstate until finally being stopped with a huge assist from trainers Wes Hawley and Jack Hancock, who had independently jumped in their trucks in pursuit of the filly. In a bizarre twist of fate, Bold and Bossy, kept overnight because of her traumatic misadventure rather than vanning back to Lexington, was among the six racehorses and a pony in the receiving barn (for horses shipping in to race) when it caught fire in the wee hours of Sunday, Aug. 22.

Fewer people know how those horses got out of their stalls and the barn, which was completely engulfed in fire in perhaps 20 minutes. Those on the scene and already at work at 4 a.m. say the man of the moment was Prado, with assistance from fellow Kenneally grooms Cristobal Munoz and Estuardo Godoy. Brendan Walsh's grooms Salvador Hernandez and Jose Garcia also were involved, including extricating their stable pony, the retired racehorse Scuba, from the barn.

Ellis Park hopes to recognize the backstretch workers during the races this weekend, contingent upon the availability of Prado, whose baby remains hospitalized.

“Racing is a way of life. Taking care of our horses is a way of life,” said Michael Ann Ewing, Bold and Bossy's owner and trainer. “These guys who stepped in — most of them I've never met — they're heroes. They just dropped everything. Especially those guys who ran into a burning barn without thinking and saved seven horses. Because it could have been really bad.

“They're brave. They're kind. They love their horses. People just come together when any of us need help: People running into that fire or chasing my filly down the road, trying to find her. And the response afterward! So many texts, emails, and Facebook questions: 'How is your filly?' I personally want to extend my thanks to everybody and to Marvin, and all who helped him. What could have been a tragedy is not, through people just stepping up and not thinking about themselves.”

Prado was at work, cleaning his horses' stalls and about to empty a wheel barrel when he looked over at the nearby receiving barn and saw flames. He says he hollered to his workmates and they rushed over. Prado told his story at the encouragement of Kentucky HBPA Hispanic Liaison Julio Rubio, who helped with translation.

According to those at the scene, Prado jumped into action and one by one retrieved the six racehorses, getting them out by their halters without a lead shank and handing them to his colleagues, who then found empty stalls for the horses.

“They are guys who have been with us a long time,” Kenneally said. “They are good people, so their natural instinct is to try to help. If there's a situation where you're needed, they're the type of people who will jump in and do the right thing.”

Prado estimated it took “two or three minutes” to get the six horses out. Five minutes later, he said the barn was completely immersed in flames. Seven fire departments assisted in extinguishing the fire.

“These acts of bravery are a testament to the real folks who represent this industry in largely unseen capacities and actions,” said Ellis Park racing secretary Dan Bork. “To do what they did, to run into a building engulfed in flames — and then go about their business as if nothing ever happened, like what they did wasn't anything out of the ordinary — they're true heroes with their totally selfless acts of courage.

“These are two unbelievable stories that happened in a one-day span that you could never even imagine. But it shows how much the people in this game really do care when it comes to taking care of these horses, including Wes and Jack chasing the filly down a highway. You can't make it up.”

The post Ellis Park To Honor Heroic Grooms Who Saved Horses From Barn Fire appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

“Thankful to say that the three horses we had in the receiving barn at Ellis Park were removed safely by a couple grooms on the backside,” trainer Jason Barkley tweeted. “Can't thank them enough for jumping into action and saving our horses as well as the others that were in the barn with us.”

Barkley told TDN all three of his horses appeared to exit the incident relatively unscathed but would be monitored in the coming days for smoke inhalation.

The post Sunday Card at Ellis Cancelled After Receiving Barn Burns Down appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Receiving barn fire at Ellis Park this morning. According to trainer Ron Moquett, whose barn foreman took video. all horses were removed safely. Training and racing cancelled today, per Moquett. pic.twitter.com/4uyUUsXnQO

— Ray Paulick (@raypaulick) August 22, 2021

The post Ellis Park Cancels Training, Sunday Card After Overnight Barn Fire appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who assisted in removing my horses from the fire this evening. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every single one of you that put yourselves at risk to make sure 58 horses are able to see another day. The actions of so many this evening proved that this industry is a family with a fierce love of the horse that triumphs over anything else.

I am heartbroken to say that Beastie D and American Sailor were both unable to be saved and perished. Beastie D, a 3-year-old Verrazano colt was a recent purchase from the Sale in Ocala. While we didn't have him long, his presence was felt as he was an individual with an abundance of class and potential.

American Sailor was apart of my family and took my operation to a new level. We were preparing for a 9-year-old campaign and he had been training fantastic. This was a horse that owed me absolutely nothing. He was the pride and joy of my stable and was the horse that took me places in my career that I had only ever dreamed of going. Sailor was so loved by everyone that worked with and around him. He was one of the sweetest horses to be around in the stall, but when he stepped foot on the track- he was nothing but business. He was family.

I want to also express my condolences to my owners Dan Eubanks and Raj and Vedhya Jagnanan who love their horses dearly & to my staff who go above and beyond day in and day out to make sure our horses receive the best care.

Thank you again to everyone who has reached out. It is much appreciated.

#BELMONTSTRONG

The post Potts: ‘This Industry Is A Family With A Fierce Love Of The Horse That Triumphs Over Anything Else’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post