Farewell, Finallymadeit
 

Wow, this is just too sad.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/106099.html


Saratoga | Posted 8/5/2009, 10:42 am
Finallymadeit euthanized after training injury
By David Grening


SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Finallymadeit, a multiple graded-stakes winner and $1 million earner, fractured his left front cannon bone during a workout Tuesday morning over the main track and had to be euthanized, trainer Tim Ritvo said Wednesday. Finallymadeit had been expected to run in Saturday's Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga.

"We were really excited about running him," said Ritvo, who took over the 5-year-old horse's training last month. "My heart goes out to the owners. Another example of the highs and lows of the game; on Monday I won two races including a stakes and I'm pointing for a Grade 1, then Tuesday I'm putting him down."

Finallymadeit, a son of Concerto owned and bred by Rolando Rodriguez and Robea Stables, won 16 races - including 12 stakes - from 47 starts and earned $1,026,640. His graded wins included this year's Grade 3 Skip Away at Gulfstream in April and the Grade 3 Memorial Day Handicap at Calder in May. He also won the Grade 3 Fred Hooper at Calder last December. In his last start, Finallymadeit finished third in the James Marvin Stakes here on opening day, a race his connections were using as a prep for the Whitney.

According to Ritvo, Finallymadeit was cremated at the equine hospital at Cornell University, and his ashes will be sent to his owner's Eclipse Training Center in Ocala, Fla.

"He was an iron horse," Rodriguez said. "He was part of the family. We called him the running heart."

That's brutal news.

Very sad indeed.

That really sucks. Now people will use his rigorous campaign as the reason for the breakdown and be even more reluctant to race their horses.

Hopefully they will instead use this for a reason not to change trainers after 2 years of success. But they wont.

Sucks for the connections, but the connections changed trainers for a clear reason. It's not that Negrete was doing anything wrong with the horse, but if the horse had stayed in Florida at Calder, there were no real G1 opportunities, which was clearly the reasoning for the move and it had been said that they were looking to get him a G1 win for his stallion resume. Ritvo is a Calder guy, who has a string in New York hence the change because I don't believe Negrete trains anywhere other than Calder. It's just one of the sad, harsh realities of the sport than can happen at any time and it's a situation where you feel horrible for the connections.

RIP. Really too bad.

So very sad. R.I.P.

Ugh, I was a big fan. What a shame. :(

Rip..

This is tragically awful. Truly the fan's horse. This horse had great talent but will be best known for running all the time in a time where horses run 5-6 times a year.

J/J,

You're being very kind to the connections who browbeat Negrette to run the horse over and over and over.

Steve,
I believe your comment is more refective of "one of the sad, harsh realities of the sport". Some owners can be great and have a very deferential style with the trainer of their horse. Unfortunately, and you obviously know this better than I, many think they know better, change trainers on a whim, and lose site of the horse itself as they become mesmerized by their own delusions and perceived needs. It is the aspect of the sport that is the most discouraging.
I appreciate your honesty about this. It is refreshing.

Gave it his all every time, which was more often than not. Sad to see the untimely death of 'The running heart'.

how are you positive that its not related to his campaign?
Frankly I was to the point of expecting this news, I could sense it coming and kind of cringed when I'd see him entered again and again. They ran him so often this year in tough contests and I don't think he got a break. The horse ran hard and fast every time.

Wow....
 

The horse had real heart, very sad news indeed.
RIP

rip very sad news as always when these things happen.

I really liked this horse and was not going to bring it up but since there has been discussion now on his cause of injury I will ask: What was the track condition that morning?

I am sure Tim Ritivo was the reason the horse broke his leg? Maybe it was just an accident?

Or maybe the original trainer knew his horse better than the new guy?