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Creative Force Rerouted From Saudi Arabia To Al Quoz Sprint After Spiking A Temperature

Godolphin's Group 1 winner Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been removed from consideration for the $30.35-million Saudi Cup meeting after spiking a temperature, and will instead target the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai next month.

“Creative Force spiked a temperature earlier today and following unsatisfactory blood tests, it has been decided that he will not travel to Saudi Arabia,” Godolphin tweeted. “He will now be aimed at the Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night.”

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the 5-year-old gelding won the G1 British Champions Sprint S. in October of 2021. Last year he placed three times at that tier when second in the Platinum Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot in June second up, then ran fourth in the July S. His latest efforts were a pair of thirds–defending his title on QIPCO British Champions Day, and in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in November.

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Australian Study: Why Do Thoroughbreds Retire?

A new study out of Australia has found that 17 percent of 37,750 racehorses retired during the 2017-18 racing season there left the track because of poor performance or at their owner's request. In addition, the study found that 2.1 percent of racehorses that left racing during that timeframe died.

Dr. Kshitiz Shrestha of the University of Melbourne and a research team emailed a questionnaire to the last registered trainers of a sample of the 2,509 Thoroughbreds listed as “inactive” in that timeframe. An “inactive” horse is one that has not worked or raced in the last six months of the racing season, or those horses that were recorded as inactive by Racing Australia.

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In total, 1,750 responses were received. Of those, 43 percent had only temporarily left racing; those horses raced the following year. One-third of the retirements were because of injuries, predominantly tendon or ligament issues.

The study determined that the median age of the 780 horses that were retired was 5 years. Females were 1.2 times more likely to be retired than males, but male horses were more likely to become riding horses than females, many of which went on to breed.

The scientists also found that 90 of the 96 horses that died did so because of injury or illness; 54 percent of the horses had experienced an injury while exercising — 24 of them while racing and 19 while training. The other 6 were injured while participating in a trial.

The researchers note that their findings are consistent with previous Australian and New Zealand studies that report that most racehorse retirements are voluntary in nature because of poor performance or owner request.

They note that the decision to retire is based on an accumulation of factors, including performance. The median age of retirement shows that most horses are not forced to retire because of an injury. This information can be used as a benchmark to evaluate programs designed to track Thoroughbreds as they leave racing.

Read the study here.

Horses In North Carolina Dying From Mystery Illness

New Hope Stables in North Carolina has had four horses die from a mystery illness that veterinarians cannot isolate or explain. Treasure, an 18-year-old rescue horse used in the stable's lesson program, was the first horse afflicted and was originally suspected to be colicking when barn workers found him down on September 23.

When the veterinarian arrived, however, it was apparent that Treasure was not colicking, but the horse was experiencing gastrointestinal irritation. The gelding was sent to Woodside Equine Clinic in Richmond, VA, where he deteriorated and was euthanized.

On Sept. 28, several other horses at the farm became ill and three died. Three horses remain in the clinic and nearly half of the farm's stable is on intravenous fluids.

Treating veterinarian Dr. Shanna Edwards has asked colleagues all over the United States for opinions; thus far no conclusive diagnosis has been reached, even after a necropsy of one of the horses.

Affected horses have diarrhea, colic and fever, and become bloated and lethargic. Edwards suspects a toxin may be in the horse's hay, grain or water as every horse in the farm is affected, which doesn't typically happen with an infectious disease. The farm has stopped using their well water and has brought in new hay and grain.

A GoFundMePage has raised nearly $30,000 of the $20,000 goal.

Swarms Of Mosquitoes Kill Horses And Livestock After Hurricane Laura

The mosquito population in Louisiana exploded after the rains from Hurricane Laura receded. Thousands of the insects attacked horses, cows, deer and other livestock, causing them to pace or run in the heat until they were exhausted.

Some areas of the state faced massive clouds of the bloodsucking insects in the days after Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 27, reported a Louisiana State University AgCenter veterinarian. Spraying efforts have since brought the mosquito population under control.

Though residents in the area are used to mosquito population spikes after heavy rains, the amount of mosquitoes seen after Huricane Laura were unprecedented. It is estimated that farmers located near where the hurricane made landfall lost between 300 and 400 head of cattle, said Dr. Craig Fontenot, a vet based in Ville Platte.

Thankfully, the species of mosquito involved in the outbreak doesn't transmit human disease easily, but people are still urged to take precautions. At the height of the outbreak, any exposed skin was immediately covered in insects. Though humans could wear long pants and sleeves, livestock were unable to get away from the insects, many of them pacing or running until they were exhausted, leaving them susceptible to weight loss and disease.