Due to laminitis.
I wasn't a huge fan of "Rocky" when he was running, but he had a huge fan following in part because his owner was very receptive to building that fan base and gave a lot of people an opportunity to get a little peek at racing behind the scenes. Perhaps none of those people ever laid a bet in their life, but racing is a multifaceted sport and there are many ways in which one can enjoy it.
So while some may argue that horses and owners who create fans really do nothing for the sport, I will respectfully disagree.
Rest in peace Rockport Harbor.
From Fox Hill Farm facebook page:
Quote:
FROM RICK PORTER: ROCKPORT HARBOR EUTHANIZED
It’s with great sadness that I report that Rockport Harbor has been euthanized due to laminitis. Rocky holds a very special place in my heart. He was the first really good colt that I had in my stable. After going three for three as a two-year-old, topping it off with a dominant and electrifying win in the Remsen, he’s the first colt to give me “Derby dreams.” Not many people know this, but Rocky’s Nashua was also the start of what became a trademark for me — the bowtie. In New York City for the race without a tie for my son, Scott, a sales lady in a men’s store helped Scott pick one out. She thought he would look great in a bowtie and after I saw it, I took my conventional tie off and she selected for me a bright yellow bowtie with red geese. Dressed in my red jacket and new bowtie, we watched Rocky demolish the field. I’ve not worn a conventional tie since the Nashua except for funerals, and we even have a two-year-old colt named Lucky Bowtie in honor of the great Rockport Harbor. I looked at Rocky’s Remsen again today, and encourage you all to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBiffhPBbpU What a horse, and what a stride. And he was also a good stallion. Rocky also started something else very important — Rockportharbor.com. Through the forum, I interacted with fans, and even after Rocky retired, we kept the website going, eventually morphing into FoxHillFarmStable.com and a Facebook page. Rocky is responsible for a lot of the joy that I’ve gotten from horse racing, and I’ll never forget him. Rest in peace, big boy.
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