Remember Little Cliff?

[my miss storm cat]

http://thoroughbredtimes.com/nationa...slaughter.aspx


Little Cliff rescued from slaughter



by Ed DeRosa

Little Cliff, one of two horses owner Robert LaPenta named after the late turf writer and chartcaller Cliff Guilliams, was rescued from slaughter on April 7.

Christy Sheidy, co-founder of Another Chance 4 Horses rescue in Bernville, Pennsylvania, discovered the five-year-old Gulch gelding in a direct-to-kill pen in New Holland, Pennsylvania. He had last raced in a $10,000 claiming race on March 1 at Philadelphia Park, finishing seventh of nine and earning $170 for owner LA Buzz Stable. Trainer Ramon Preciado had claimed the horse from Jimmy Moran Jr. for $10,000 on January 13.

Sheidy ran the gelding’s tattoo and had Diana Baker, formerly of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, pull a race record, which is when the connection to LaPenta and Racing Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito appeared. Zito’s wife, Kim, is involved in horse rescue efforts as well.

“Mr. LaPenta and [Zito] sent a very generous check to Christy that more than covered [Little Cliff’s] expenses,” Baker said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better or more generous response than what we received.”

In a cruel twist of fate, Moran and Guilliams both died within a week of Little Cliff’s rescue but not before Nick Zito had a chance to tell Guilliams that one of his equine namesakes had been rescued.

“The Cliff’s Edge and Little Cliff were both named after [Guilliams],” Kim Zito said. “Nick had dinner with [Guilliams] just recently and told him what had happened to Little Cliff. [Guilliams] got very emotional and very upset.”

LaPenta purchased Little Cliff for $250,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale and bought him back on a bid of $350,000 at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training.

Little Cliff finished sixth behind eventual Grade 1 winners and Central Kentucky stallions Political Force and Flashy Bull in his second career start before winning his next two races by a combined 6 1/4 lengths to close out his two-year-old season. At three, he finished third in both the Leonard Richards (G3) and Sir Barton Stakes. He won three of 27 starts and earned $202,762.

Although Little Cliff had changed owners four times throughout his life before being rescued, one thing that followed him from Kentucky to New York to Florida to Pennsylvania were his Jockey Club papers, papers that Kim Zito had affixed with a white sticker that says, “If this horse needs a home when he retires, please call.”

“The tragic part of this story is that Little Cliff had this sticker on his papers, and that breaks my heart because it proves that there are people in this industry who don’t give a [darn],” Kim Zito said.

Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times

[gamblin4ever]

glad they rescued him. would like to see the owners who put him there, put in for slaughter.. Heck i'll even start the bidding @ $20.00.

[philcski]

The writer of the story happens to be one of my really good friends- I will speak to him on anyone's behalf who would be interested in taking care of him. Sh*t like this makes me SICK. At one time he was a pretty decent horse.

[cowgirlintexas]

I know that slaughter houses are there for obvious reasons and a topic that will always be debatable, however when on the papers it states "“If this horse needs a home when he retires, please call.”.... How can that horse end up there? Who the hell is this "La Buzz stable"? He needs to be made to take a trip to a slaughter house so he can see what becomes of his careless decisions. Thank God Christy was there to find him!. F@!&ing Jerk!

If anyone gets ahold of this guys name(s) e-mail or cell phone please post it

[Riot]

“The tragic part of this story is that Little Cliff had this sticker on his papers, and that breaks my heart because it proves that there are people in this industry who don’t give a [darn],” Kim Zito said.

Wow. Indeed pretty brutal to ignore that. Glad that was published in an industry magazine for all to see.

[ddthetide]

Originally Posted by Mumtaz

Wow. Indeed pretty brutal to ignore that. Glad that was published in an industry magazine for all to see.

their names should be published and at the least black balled from the industry.

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by cowgirlintexas

I know that slaughter houses are there for obvious reasons and a topic that will always be debatable, however when on the papers it states "“If this horse needs a home when he retires, please call.”.... How can that horse end up there? Who the hell is this "La Buzz stable"? He needs to be made to take a trip to a slaughter house so he can see what becomes of his careless decisions. Thank God Christy was there to find him!. F@!&ing Jerk!

If anyone gets ahold of this guys name(s) e-mail or cell phone please post it

trainer Ramon Preciado is based at Philadelphia Park maybe these people can tell us how to get in touch with them.

Track Superintendent David Ziegler dziegler@philadelphiapark.com

Director - Racing/Racing Secretary Sal Sinatra ssinatra@philadelphiapark.com

Director - Public Relations Keith Jones kjones@philadelphiapark.com

[cowgirlintexas]

Originally Posted by AeWingnut

trainer Ramon Preciado is based at Philadelphia Park maybe these people can tell us how to get in touch with them.

Track Superintendent David Ziegler dziegler@philadelphiapark.com

Director - Racing/Racing Secretary Sal Sinatra ssinatra@philadelphiapark.com

Director - Public Relations Keith Jones kjones@philadelphiapark.com

Thank you for the information. I'll send them an e-mail and go from there.

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Although Little Cliff had changed owners four times throughout his life before being rescued, one thing that followed him from Kentucky to New York to Florida to Pennsylvania were his Jockey Club papers, papers that Kim Zito had affixed with a white sticker that says, “If this horse needs a home when he retires, please call.”

“The tragic part of this story is that Little Cliff had this sticker on his papers, and that breaks my heart because it proves that there are people in this industry who don’t give a [darn],” Kim Zito said.

Wow.. what the f...?

How could someone be so cold blooded. To know the horse had a home and they could be bothered to place a call.

Instant Karma - do your stuff

[CSC]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

http://thoroughbredtimes.com/nationa...slaughter.aspx


Little Cliff rescued from slaughter



by Ed DeRosa

Little Cliff, one of two horses owner Robert LaPenta named after the late turf writer and chartcaller Cliff Guilliams, was rescued from slaughter on April 7.

Christy Sheidy, co-founder of Another Chance 4 Horses rescue in Bernville, Pennsylvania, discovered the five-year-old Gulch gelding in a direct-to-kill pen in New Holland, Pennsylvania. He had last raced in a $10,000 claiming race on March 1 at Philadelphia Park, finishing seventh of nine and earning $170 for owner LA Buzz Stable. Trainer Ramon Preciado had claimed the horse from Jimmy Moran Jr. for $10,000 on January 13.

Sheidy ran the gelding’s tattoo and had Diana Baker, formerly of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, pull a race record, which is when the connection to LaPenta and Racing Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito appeared. Zito’s wife, Kim, is involved in horse rescue efforts as well.

“Mr. LaPenta and [Zito] sent a very generous check to Christy that more than covered [Little Cliff’s] expenses,” Baker said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better or more generous response than what we received.”

In a cruel twist of fate, Moran and Guilliams both died within a week of Little Cliff’s rescue but not before Nick Zito had a chance to tell Guilliams that one of his equine namesakes had been rescued.

“The Cliff’s Edge and Little Cliff were both named after [Guilliams],” Kim Zito said. “Nick had dinner with [Guilliams] just recently and told him what had happened to Little Cliff. [Guilliams] got very emotional and very upset.”

LaPenta purchased Little Cliff for $250,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale and bought him back on a bid of $350,000 at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training.

Little Cliff finished sixth behind eventual Grade 1 winners and Central Kentucky stallions Political Force and Flashy Bull in his second career start before winning his next two races by a combined 6 1/4 lengths to close out his two-year-old season. At three, he finished third in both the Leonard Richards (G3) and Sir Barton Stakes. He won three of 27 starts and earned $202,762.

Although Little Cliff had changed owners four times throughout his life before being rescued, one thing that followed him from Kentucky to New York to Florida to Pennsylvania were his Jockey Club papers, papers that Kim Zito had affixed with a white sticker that says, “If this horse needs a home when he retires, please call.”

“The tragic part of this story is that Little Cliff had this sticker on his papers, and that breaks my heart because it proves that there are people in this industry who don’t give a [darn],” Kim Zito said.

Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times

Thanks for bringing this to light, unfortunately this sort of thing will always happen. Sorry I just don't see anyway it won't. You know if it can happen to a great horse like Exceller, it can happen to any horse.

Roman philosopher Lucretius said, "What is food to one, is to others bitter poison."

[cowgirlintexas]

Unfortunate for all involved.. Glad to see that Ed DeRosa pursued the story and cleared up what appeared to be an un-just situation. Now we just need to hear from the pin-head Ramon...

[Seattleallstar]

well what happens to the other horses who arent little cliff, god I can only imagine what has happened to a horse named WOrk. A menifee colt purchased for 950k, and before it got hurt Baffert once said that it was his derby horse and one of the most talented hes had. But never got over the injury ended up getting bounced around and last i saw of the horse was at Mountaineer park.

[AeWingnut]

Looks like Ramon is the fall guy. He'll probably come out and say, I thought Little Cliff was going to a farm. Did I load him on the wrong van? oops.