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‘When You Compete Against The Best It Makes You Better’: Uruguayan Star Aero Trem Targets Saudi Cup

South American superstar Aero Trem is on course to fly the flag for Uruguay in The Saudi Cup next year.

The winner of the Group 1 Gran Premio Latinoamericano, South America's most prestigious prize, has been shipped to Dubai to continue his preparation for the world's most valuable race.

It will be a remarkable achievement just to line up in the $20 million showpiece, set to be run as a Group 1 for the first time, at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh on Saturday, Feb. 26.

The 6-year-old nearly died when struck down by a serious bout of colic after winning the first two legs of Uruguay's Triple Crown three years ago.

He has since developed into South America's best horse and his ambitious trainer Antonio Cintra is keen to test his stable star against some of the world's top performers.

Assistant trainer Julio Olascoaga is overseeing Aero Trem's preparation in Dubai and said: “Aero Trem arrived on Monday. He travelled for two days to get to Dubai. He went from Uruguay to Germany and from Germany to Dubai. Horses usually lose weight in transit but, for him, it was like nothing had happened.

“He's arrived in fantastic condition. I took some blood and that was amazing. He can take all these things very well. I'm very happy with him – he looks great. He will start training at the end of the week.

“We're just waiting for an invitation to The Saudi Cup and then we'll work towards that. He's very highly-rated so I don't think he will have a problem getting in.”

Aero Trem won Uruguay's most important race over 1600m (one mile), the Gran Premio Pedro Pineyrua at Maronas, for the second successive year in January before landing the Gran Premio Latinoamericano in October.

It was only the second time in 38 years that a horse trained in Uruguay had landed South America's greatest race, run this year at Maronas.

The field contained the best horses from across the continent and Aero Trem was successful in course-record time. He led home a one-two for Brazilian Cintra – four-times Champion Trainer in Uruguay – with Atletico El Culano finishing runner-up in the 2000m (1 1/4-mile) dirt-track contest.

The victory came less than three years after Aero Trem had come dangerously close to losing his life to colic.

Olascoaga explained: “He had huge surgery and it was amazing work from the vets. He lost 150kg and it took a lot of time for him to recover.

“He's a horse that impresses you – when you think he might get beaten he just appears. In the Group 1s he has the extra power, he's amazing.

“Antonio has a dream to get his horses into the biggest races so we're working towards The Saudi Cup. It's a dream, a dream that might come true. It's unbelievable where this horse can take us.

“It's not just important for us – it's important for Uruguay and South America. We are testing how far we can go and how good the horses are. It's about measuring our horses on the world stage to see where we are.

“When you compete against the best it makes you better. If you're always competing at the same level you will never improve. If you raise the bar you have to push yourself to be better.

“That's even more important than the prize money. Money is important but it's not everything.

“We've never been to Saudi but we've heard about the track from people we know. They say the track will suit the Uruguayan horses much better than Dubai as it has a longer straight. The Uruguayan tracks generally have long straights so it's pretty similar.

“A fast pace will suit him, the distance will suit him, the track will suit him.”

Big-race jockey Vagner Leal, a Brazilian based in Uruguay, is expected to arrive in Dubai later this week. He will help with the preparation of Cintra's team and will take the ride on Aero Trem, who races in the colors of Brazilian owners Haras Old Friends, if he makes it in to The Saudi Cup field.

The trainer's horses based in Dubai include last year's Uruguay Derby hero El Patriota, a winner in Dubai in February, and talented 3-year-old Perfect Love. They will both be entered in the Saudi International Handicap run on the opening day of The Saudi Cup meeting on Friday, Feb. 25.

The Uruguayan runners at the glittering Saudi Cup meeting will have at least one famous supporter. Manchester United footballer Edison Cavani owns horses trained by Cintra and he has been keeping a close eye on the progress of the potential Saudi raiders.

Olascoaga added: “He's a very nice guy. He came to play for Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier and he came straight from the airport to the races. Everyone was going crazy.

“He loves horses and he's supportive of racing. It's very good for the industry, he brings the fans in.”

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Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: Why Are Broodmares So Prone To Colic?

Veterinarians at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital answer your questions about sales and healthcare of Thoroughbred auction yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and breeding stock.

Question: Why are broodmares so prone to colic, and what colic causes are most common for them?

Dr. Katy Dern, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital: According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1.4 percent of human delivery hospitalizations in the United States in the year 2014 developed what are characterized as severe maternal morbidities. This means that, even in closely supervised and intensively managed births, 1.4 in every 100 women developed potentially life-threatening complications. Parturition (birth) has potential consequences for the mother, and broodmares are no exception to this biologic reality.

Dr. Kathryn Dern

When we discuss colic (abdominal pain) in the broodmare, the cause of the pain can be broadly divided into two categories: pain originating from the gastrointestinal tract and pain originating from the reproductive tract.

Colic signs attributable to the gastrointestinal tract are a common phenomenon in the broodmare, and can be further subdivided into those conditions seen prior to foaling and those seen in the post-parturient time period (after foaling). Prior to foaling, causes of colic include mild discomfort due to expanding uterine size and fetal movements, as well as displacements or abnormal motility of the large colon, cecum, or small intestine. Mares exhibiting colic secondary to fetal movements or impingement of the gravid uterus on the gastrointestinal tract will usually not have dramatic changes in their vital parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, mucous membrane color), and will respond to analgesics (pain management). If the mare's colic signs do not respond to pain management or increase in severity, she may have a gastrointestinal issue which can be life threatening to her and/or the foal. In either case, veterinary evaluation is important to differentiate between mild and more severe forms of colic, and to ensure that more aggressive medical and surgical interventions can be instituted if necessary.

After foaling (and sometimes before foaling), gastrointestinal causes of colic can include large colon volvulus (twist) or displacement, cecal dysmotility or rupture, small intestinal incarceration, mesenteric tears leading to loss of intestinal viability, or rectal prolapse. Of these the most discussed and by far most common cause of colic is large colon volvulus. Broodmares are largely overrepresented in the large colon volvulus (LCV) caseload: one study evaluating the distribution of surgical LCV cases at a large referral hospital in California found that half of the admissions were broodmares that had foaled less than 60 days prior to admission. This association between foaling and subsequent development of colonic displacement or LCV has been mirrored in multiple studies across various geographic areas and additional risk factors such as increased hours of stabling, increased feeding of concentrates, decreased dry matter intake, or a recent change in pasture have also been discovered.

Although our research has clearly shown that post-foaling broodmares are likely to develop large colon volvulus, we unfortunately have not yet determined exactly why they are prone to this disease. Common sense dictates that the presence of additional “room” in the abdomen post foaling must play a role, but this unfortunately does not account for the LCV cases we see in geldings, show horses, or preparturient [pregnant] mares.

Recent investigations into the role of intestinal microbiota in the development of colic suggest that significant changes in the fecal microbiota precede the development of colic. The changes in the bacterial population observed in the fecal samples of mares that developed colic are consistent with changes seen in both dysbiosis (imbalance in gastrointestinal bacteria) and inflammatory intestinal disease in other species, including humans. Further investigation into the role of intestinal microbiota in the development of large colon volvulus will hopefully allow us to not only fully characterize the disease process, but eventually identify at-risk mares and intervene prior to development of colonic displacement or volvulus.

Other gastrointestinal causes of post-foaling colic are usually more directly linked to the parturition itself. Cecal bruising or rupture can occur when the foal traumatizes the base of the cecum. These mares commonly present with abdominal discomfort within the first few days of foaling and then progress to signs of septic peritonitis (abdominal infection) if the wall of the cecum becomes devitalized to the point of rupture. Tears in the mesentery of the small colon or small intestine can subsequently trap segments of the small intestine, causing pain from the entrapment itself and, if prompt surgical intervention is not undertaken, these small intestinal segments can become devitalized, endangering the mare's life, necessitating resection (removal of the devitalized area). If the small colon mesentery is affected, the tear itself can often affect the blood supply to the small colon, causing a gradual necrosis (death) of a segment of the small colon requiring surgery.

Reproductive causes of colic are also common in the broodmare, and determining whether colic signs are gastrointestinal or reproductive in nature is one of the primary goals of the colic exam. In the pregnant mare, colic signs attributable to the reproductive tract can range from mild, medically manageable colics due to fetal shifting and increased fetal size, or abdominal discomfort can be a sign of more life threatening conditions such as uterine torsion or preparturient uterine artery hemorrhage. As with all signs of colic, evaluation by your veterinarian is indicated if your mare's colic signs do not resolve or increase in severity. On the farm, your veterinarian may perform a physical, rectal, and/or ultrasonographic exam to determine if referral is indicated.

In the post foaling broodmare, causes of colic signs attributable to the reproductive tract include mild colic signs due to normal uterine contraction and involution, or more severe colic signs secondary to uterine artery rupture, uterine tears, invagination of a uterine horn or uterine prolapse. In the case of uterine artery rupture, the mare will often show signs of abdominal pain if the hemorrhage is limited to the broad ligament (soft tissue structure which suspends the uterus within the abdomen), as the hematoma dissects through the ligament itself. If she is bleeding freely into her abdomen however, she may not show signs of colic, rather exhibiting a high heart rate, anxiety, and increased respiratory rate consistent with blood loss. In these cases, a thorough physical exam, rectal palpation, abdominal ultrasonography, and abdominocentesis (analysis of a sample of the abdominal fluid) can be critical in determining whether or not the mare is actively hemorrhaging.

Uterine tears can present a diagnostic challenge, as they occur during foaling but do not necessarily cause signs of abdominal pain until the leakage of uterine fluid into abdomen causes signs of abdominal infection (septic peritonitis). In these cases, the mare often presents within the first few days after foaling for dullness and depression, fever, and high heart rate. The diagnosis of septic peritonitis is made using abdominal ultrasonography and abdominocentesis. Prompt surgical repair of these tears, often found at the tip of the uterine horn, limits the continued contamination of the abdomen and allows for intraoperative lavage of the abdomen with drain placement for post-operative lavages. Cases of invagination of the uterine horn are often diagnosed and treated on farm, but if they progress to uterine prolapse may necessitate referral for replacement under general anesthesia.

Lacerating or tearing the cervix during foaling is usually not painful and is commonly found later when the mare is spec'ed or when she is cultured. Manual examination of the cervix is required to definitively diagnose a cervical tear, which are usually repaired after the initial swelling from foaling has subsided (approximately three weeks after parturition).

It is important to note that just because a mare had an uneventful foaling does not mean that the foal didn't damage segments of the reproductive or gastrointestinal tract during parturition. In all cases of broodmare colic, evaluation by a veterinarian experienced in broodmare disorders and timely referral, if necessary, are critical to survival of both mare and foal.

Dr. Katy Dern is originally from Colorado and Montana. She attended Washington State University for her undergraduate work, and Colorado State University for her veterinary degree. Following graduation from CSU in 2012, she completed an internship at Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, followed by an internship at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. After her internships, Dr. Dern completed a three-year surgical residency at The Ohio State University, while also earning a Master's of Science Degree. She became board certified in equine surgery in 2018 and has been the surgeon at Rood and Riddle's Saratoga hospital since 2017.

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Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: Enteroliths Can Make A Rocky Road To Colic

Veterinarians at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital answer your questions about sales and healthcare of Thoroughbred auction yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and breeding stock.

Question: How common are enteroliths, and what causes them?

Dr. Katy Dern, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital: While many of our colic patients make it clear within a few minutes of presentation to hospital that they will require surgery — high heart rate, unremitting pain in the face of sedatives and NSAIDS, or clinical signs of devitalized bowel – some patients make it more difficult to determine if surgery is indicated. Horses with enteroliths are often on that list.

Enteroliths are calculi (rocks) which form in the right dorsal colon and can cause partial or complete obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract. They are composed of struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate) and form when mineral deposition occurs in concentric layers around a central nidus. Although this central nidus is sometimes a foreign body (rope or metallic object), in most cases it is indistinguishable from the rest of the calculi.

Dr. Kathryn Dern

Although we don't know exactly why some horses form enteroliths and some don't, we do know that there are certain risk factors for enterolith formation. A review of 900 cases of horses with confirmed enteroliths determined that Arabians, Morgans, and American Saddlebreds are at an increased risk for developing enteroliths. Enteroliths were also found to occur more frequently in horses in California and regions of the Southwest. From a management perspective, the most important aspects of this retrospective analysis and other studies were that most patients with enteroliths had a diet which consisted of more than 50 percent alfalfa hay, and there was a significantly increased incidence of enteroliths in horses which did not have daily access to pasture grazing.

If your horses are part of the “at-risk” population, we recommend ensuring that the majority of their diets consist of pasture or grass hay, avoiding alfalfa-based products. Although the exact role of alfalfa in the formation of enteroliths is unknown, it is suspected that the higher protein content can result in a more alkaline pH in the colon, favoring enterolith formation. Alfalfa hay also has higher levels of magnesium and phosphorus, both of which are components of the typical struvite enterolith.

Enteroliths usually form in the right dorsal colon, which has a large enough diameter to accommodate the calculi while still allowing feed to pass through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. If the enterolith begins to move from the right dorsal colon into the transverse colon, or further abroad into the small colon however, it becomes lodged due to the smaller diameter of these parts of the GI tract. In some horses, the enterolith intermittently occludes the transverse colon, causing occasional mild colic signs which resolve with medical management (flunixin meglumine, intravenous fluids, etc). Once the enterolith becomes lodged in the transverse or small colon, it completely blocks the passage of feed material though the GI tract, causing colic signs.

Diagnosis of enteroliths in the patients with a history of chronic colic can be challenging. Abdominal radiographs (x-rays) are more reliable in diagnosing enteroliths which are in the large colon versus the small colon – presumably due to the increased diameter of the enteroliths in the large colon. Enteroliths cannot be imaged in an ultrasonographic examination and are rarely detectable on rectal palpation. For these reasons, a definitive diagnosis of enterolithiasis often requires surgery.

In the patients with persistent colic signs in which the enterolith has become permanently lodged in the bowel, timely surgical intervention is important. In these cases, the enterolith compresses the bowel wall, decreasing the blood supply and potentially causing weakened areas or areas of necrosis (tissue death), which can lead to fatal rupture of the transverse or small colon. To avoid this tragic outcome, surgery is recommended in horses with persistent pain in the face of sedation and analgesia (flunixin meglumine, etc).

Once in surgery, the location of the enterolith is determined and a pelvic flexure enterotomy is performed to completely empty the contents of the large colon. This procedure involves making a small incision in the bowel wall through which to empty the contents, and then instilling fluid into the large colon to help “flush” the enterolith to a location from which it can be safely removed. Multiple incisions are often required to both evacuate the contents of the colon and to remove the enterolith. If the enterolith is lodged in the small colon, an incision will be made into the wall of the small colon to facilitate enterolith removal. In some cases, the enterolith has compressed the bowel wall so severely that tissue death (necrosis) has occurred – in these cases the devitalized area of bowel needs to be removed.

Post-operative management involves intravenous antimicrobials, intravenous fluids, and a gradual refeeding program to ensure that the lining of the colon has time to recover from trauma and irritation caused by the enterolith. Fortunately, survival after surgical removal of enteroliths is high, with reports ranging from 92 percent to 96 percent. As with many colic cases, prompt referral and timely surgical intervention are the keys to a good outcome.

Dr. Dern is originally from Colorado and Montana. She attended Washington State University for her undergraduate work, and Colorado State University for her veterinary degree. Following graduation from CSU in 2012, she completed an internship at Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, followed by an internship at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. After her internships, Dr. Dern completed a three-year surgical residency at The Ohio State University, while also earning a Master's of Science Degree. She became board certified in equine surgery in 2018 and has been the surgeon at Rood and Riddle's Saratoga hospital since 2017.

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Surprise: Paint Horse Admitted To Equine Hospital Gets Unusual Diagnosis

Companero, a 26-year-old American paint horse, was referred to the Virginia Tech Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center for emergency colic evaluation. The gelding's primary care veterinarian, Dr. Kate Baldwin of TreeHorse Veterinary Services in Biglerville, PA had treated Companero at home for a suspected colon impaction, but due to his continued discomfort, referred him to the Equine Medical Center for further diagnostics and treatment.

Led by Dr. Emily Schaefer, clinical assistant professor of equine medicine, the center's medicine team completed an abdominal ultrasound. The procedure did not identify significant abnormalities. An abdominocentesis, normal in color, returned a slightly elevated white cell count, and rectal palpation revealed a transverse colon obstruction.

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Medical management with intravenous fluids and enteral fluids was started, and Companero initially remained quiet with no overt signs of colic. By the second day of hospitalization, Campanero had not passed any manure and again began showing signs of moderate abdominal discomfort. A second abdominal ultrasound was performed, but no abnormalities were found. A second abdominocentesis revealed changes in the gelding's peritoneal fluid, indicating that surgical intervention would be necessary to relieve the obstruction.

During surgical exploration of Companero's abdomen, Dr. Maureen Kelleher, clinical assistant professor of sports medicine and surgery, discovered three large enteroliths in the transverse and right dorsal colon. An enterotomy was performed, and the enteroliths were removed.

Enteroliths are intestinal “stones” or mineral deposits that form in thin layers over a small piece of foreign matter ingested by the horse, such as a sliver of wood, a pebble or grains of sand. Enteroliths may remain in the colon for variable periods of time, but result in obstructive colic when the normal gastrointestinal motility moves the enterolith from a larger-diameter colon structure to a smaller-diameter structure. Some breeds of horses are predisposed to enteroliths, which are also caused by certain diets and are more prevalent in horses in North America's Western states. Unusual for a horse with enteroliths, Companero has lived his entire life on the East Coast.

Companero needed a little assistance from the center's large animal lift during his recovery from surgery. Once back in his stall, he remained bright and comfortable during his post-operative care, which included fluid therapy, antibiotics and analgesia. The gelding was started on a careful refeeding schedule shortly after surgery.

After seven days in the hospital, Companero and his companion Diablo were transported home. Detailed instructions for an adjusted diet were provided to his owner, Sally Alexander, who will continue his rehabilitation care at home.

Sally, who has been riding for more than 50 years, describes Companero as her “fun” horse. She has spent the past 11 years trail riding through woods and fields, and in the mountains with her husband, Steve, on his off-track thoroughbred, Diablo. Steve and Diablo enjoy jumping and they travel from their home in Gettysburg, PA, to Virginia on a regular basis for jumping lessons. Of course, Diablo accompanied Companero to the hospital to provide moral support during his treatment.

“Everyone at the hospital was so caring and took Companero's problems into account, and that made all the difference in his great outcome. He has bad knees and has trouble getting up when he is down, so extra planning and effort were needed to get him up after surgery,” said Sally, who was very concerned about her gelding because of his age and physical challenges. “It was also great that Dr. Kelleher had experience in this type of problem, which I understand is unusual for this area. We can't thank everyone at the hospital enough for the great care both horses received during their stay.”

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