Looking up my 2005 OTTB’s race records and noticed he only raced in 2008 and 2013. Gap from Sept. '08 to April 2013. What the heck could have happened to cause a 4.5/5 year break? I looked at the notes in each race but I don’t see anything crazy re: injury. Any ideas?
https://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=7453677®istry=T#completeStats
Different owner 5 years later.
@SPRINGBORO beat me to it.
While 4-5 years is uncommon, it happens.
One example: we had a decent runner in the barn who developed a slab fracture in his knee, needed a year off. Owners laid him up, but got out of racing in the interim. Bills didn’t get paid, horse got kicked out in the field, bounced around a couple farms. Finally some resolution happened and he went back in training about 3 years after his injury. It was closer to 4 years when he raced again.
Several of your horse’s races were on the fair circuit, where it is still pretty common for the horses (and people) to have other jobs in the off season. They could have been riding him, using him to pony, doing nothing with him, whatever.
Owned by the breeder in 2008, someone else in 2013. Without doing any further digging, I’d suspect death of the owner, and liquidation of stock. That can take awhile.
I’d poke around and see what can be found re: the breeder. Maybe there’s an obit out there that can shed some light.
Right.
Or other personal events in the life of the owner. Likely the gap before being active again wasn’t anticipated, they kept thinking the horse would be active again soon, but that’s not how it worked out. Divorce. Serious financial problems. Long-term serious illness. Things of that nature.
Was it the same owner? Or possibly the original owner had the horse for years and then sold it.
It is also possible that the horse had a soundness problem that someone was trying to treat with rest, bring him back and things not going well, try something else … again, no expectation of the total time off. Just going from one month to the next, trying this and trying that thinking for a 30-day cure, then on to the next thing.
Whatever the reason, the horse gets back-burnered. Especially if the owner has their own land to keep him at pasture for a time.
This kind of pattern is a lot more frequently found in non-racing private owner horses – the owner has intentions but something is always in the way of fulfilling them.
Thanks everyone. Looks like his first owner/breeder 2008 was Donald Carothers and then 2013 was Jesus C. Perez. Can’t find much else.
I have nothing to add re: gap but will say we’ve had Secretariat horses that were very nice. It’s cool Somethingroyal is in his pedigree twice. We also had a Bold Ruler horse w a great disposition. Good luck!
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