A horse with Kentucky roots was scheduled to attend Sunday's Super Bowl, but not to watch the game — he was to assist with crowd control at the event. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported on the story of Track Shill, a former racehorse who finds himself patrolling crowds these days instead of running before them.
Track Shill was foaled at Brookdale Farm in 2014. By Artie Schiller, the dark bay won his one start at Gulfstream Park before owner William Sorren retired him. The gelding's career ended when he broke a sesamoid in his right front leg during training.
Sorren wanted to ensure the horse found a good home once he retired from racing, so he enlisted the help of William and Lyn Rainbow, who broke the gelding. The Rainbows suggested that Track Shill be sent to Track to Trail Thoroughbreds, a program in Naples, Fla., that focuses on taking injured racehorses directly from the racetrack or training farm, rehabilitating them and finding them homes in Lee and Collier counties.
At Track to Trail facility, Track Shill was introduced to Corp. Aaron Eubanks, a sheriff's deputy for Lee County who had recently lost his patrol horse to colic. Eubanks fostered Track Shill for a month and then adopted him, renaming him Deputy Maverick.
Eubanks believed Maverick would make a quality police horse and the gelding was deputized once he completed mounted patrol training. Maverick has his own badge, which is the same one Lee County detectives wear.
The gelding was part of a fleet of officers invited to assist with crowd control outside the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, where the Super Bowl will be held on Sunday, Feb. 7.
Though a last-minute injury to his left front leg will keep him from attending the actual event, the gelding has raised awareness as to what racehorses can do once they retire from the track.
Read more at the Lexington Herald-Leader.
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