CONFIRMED: LITF Gone..

[pdrift1]

rest in peace. you were a true warrior on the track. you will be rembered by each and everyone of us at DT and will not be forgoten for we will still talk and remember you and of how nice of a horse you really were. GB

[DerbyCat]

I am very sad right now... Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Fields are my home tracks and I have watched Fog work and run races... I have never seen a horse run so smoothly and look like he was "on cruise control" when he was running 5f in:58... I remeber one race day at GGF when they had Fog work in between races - people stopped what they were doing - as if the national anthem was playing - and watched in awe as Russell sat on his back for a little 5f work... I remember the gasp that came from the crowd when they anounced his time - Lost in the Fog was our rock star in Northern California and we appreciated him.

I'm wearing my Lost in the Fog hat from GGF and my Lost in the Fog t-shirt from BM right now and I'm not sure when I'm going to take them off.

I miss the Fog.

[westcoastinvader]

from the Golden Gate Fields site.....


CHAMPION LOST IN THE FOG EUTHANIZED

Champion sprinter Lost in the Fog, stricken with inoperable cancerous tumors, was euthanized Sunday evening at Golden Gate Fields with trainer Greg Gilchrist and veterinarian Dr. Donald Smith at his side.

“He was happy and content right up to the end,” said Gilchrist. “He went quietly and easily.”

Gilchrist said Lost in the Fog went into distress after his afternoon grazing time. The trainer let Lost in the Fog graze on some grass outside his barn twice daily, in the morning and afternoon.

“Immediately after he went back in his stall he started showing signs of discomfort,” said Gilchrist. “He just kind of went downhill real quick. He was fine just 30 minutes before.”

Lost in the Fog was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the University of California-Davis on Aug. 18. The 4-year-old colt had three cancerous tumors – one in his spleen,
one in a ligament that suspends the spleen, and one very large tumor along the roof of his back.

Gilchrist brought Lost in the Fog back to Golden Gate Fields following the diagnosis and first treated his stable star with steroids in hopes of shrinking the tumors. When tests revealed the steroids were not reducing the tumors, Gilchrist and owner Harry J. Aleo elected to try chemotherapy. Lost in the Fog had his first and only chemotherapy treatment on Sept. 7.

“We did all we could and it didn’t help,” said Gilchrist. “The cancer was just too far advanced and we couldn’t get it turned around. He was comfortable all the time he was home. He was very alert and happy most of the time. I don’t know how much more we could have done. He just lost the battle this time.”

Gilchrist said it was tough to say goodbye to Lost in the Fog.

“It was very emotional,” said Gilchrist. “I probably won’t ever get over it. I always said when it got too bad, Lost in the Fog would let me know. I think he did yesterday (Sunday). If he was a person, he would have said, ‘It’s time.’ That’s life and we have to deal with it. People come and go. I’ll just see him on the other side.”

Gilchrist said Lost in the Fog will be cremated and it’s likely his ashes will go to Southern Chase Farm in Florida, where he was raised.

Lost in the Fog won 11 of his 14 career starts and earned $978,099. The Florida-bred son of Lost Soldier won 10 stakes, including six graded events. Lost in the Fog was named the nation’s champion sprinter of 2005 after winning eight stakes that year, including the Grade I King’s Bishop at Saratoga.

When asked how he would like fans to remember Lost in the Fog, Gilchrist replied, “Just remember him for the great warrior and champion he was.”

Golden Gate Fields is planning to honor Lost in the Fog on Saturday, Sept. 30.

[westcoastinvader]

I thought about Lost in the Fog Saturday when I was at the OTB.

I looked at the program for a Golden Gate Fields race.

Six Furlongs On The Dirt.

Track Record: (Lost in the Fog- 1:07.32 - May 14, 2005)



You can see it again in Wednesday's program.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

I thought about Lost in the Fog Saturday when I was at the OTB. I looked at the program for a Golden Gate Fields race.

Six Furlongs On The Dirt.
Track Record: (Lost in the Fog- 1:07.32 - May 14, 2005)

You can see it again in Wednesday's program.

And every GGF program when they run a 6f race for years to come...

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

I thought about Lost in the Fog Saturday when I was at the OTB.

I looked at the program for a Golden Gate Fields race.

Six Furlongs On The Dirt.

Track Record: (Lost in the Fog- 1:07.32 - May 14, 2005)



You can see it again in Wednesday's program.

How appropriate. Let's hope that record stands for many, many years.

[DerbyCat]

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

I thought about Lost in the Fog Saturday when I was at the OTB.

I looked at the program for a Golden Gate Fields race.

Six Furlongs On The Dirt.

Track Record: (Lost in the Fog- 1:07.32 - May 14, 2005)



You can see it again in Wednesday's program.

Thank you for that wonderful reminder... I still have the program from that race day and I think I'll be taking it to a custom frame shop tomorrow to get it matted and framed along with a photo I have of him... great memories!

Thanks Westcoastinvader!

Originally Posted by Kasept

Santa Anita-Del Mar Racing Director Ric Hammerle has confirmed to Derby Trail and 'At the Races and Beyond' through West Coast sources that 2005 Sprint Champion Lost in the Fog was euthanized sometime last evening.

No further details were available.

Trainer Greg Gilchrist has understandably not yet returned calls, but has been asked to appear on this evening's edition of ATRAB at 6pm.

Our hearts go out to owner Harry Aleo, Russell Baze, Gilchrist and his staff, and all connected to this gallant young champion whose exploits excited the racing community from coast to coast. He deserved a much better fate..

Painting of LOST IN THE FOG By Robert Clark
http://www.horsehats.com/RobertClarkBio.html

Picture sends chills down my spine. What a great runner. RIP

Thanks Steve for that... really nice. Dont normally get teary... Man o man.

[31lengths]

Thank you LITF.

[westcoastinvader]

http://www.ktvu.com/video/5051259/detail.html


I see youtube.com already has a few Lost in the Fog tributes, but I haven't checked them out yet.

I shared the above link to this video back on the ESPN site. It's a live interview with Russell Baze and Lost in the Fog in his stall.

The horse was in rare form that morning, and I absolutely loved it when I saw it live.

This was from when Lost in the Fog was undefeated, and I believe going for his 10th in a row.

It's not sad at all, and I recommend it for upbeat memories.

Thanks to ktvu.com for keeping this link live for so long.

[kentuckyrosesinmay]

Originally Posted by 31lengths

Thank you LITF.

I bet you are feeling this news now too. Thanks for sharing all of those lovely pictures of him to us earlier in the year. I really appreciated that.

Thanks for the U-tube Kentucky. Man I really liked this horse. Thanks to Heather Neuman, whoever she is for putting that together.

damn

i am a baby.

[westcoastinvader]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt__8...elated&search=

Another very nicely done from youtube.com.

I am very pleasantly surprised to see all these "softies" out here who can love and respect these great animals.

This six minute tribute includes the entire running of The King's Bishop, set to music.

I recommend to stay tuned until the video concludes.

[berreman150]

Just logged on to catch up on the weekend and read this . Was hoping the teatments would work and he could have been around many more years, very sad. hoping its the last of the bad news . Seems like every week we lose another getting where I cross my fingers before checking on whats happening in the horse world . Praying for all involved , also hoping rest of the year is all good news.

[gallant bloom]

i thought
some of u
might want to
read this.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/tod...66587&subsec=1

[Downthestretch55]

Steve,
Please, after this thread has run its course, retire it to the "reading room" so I can look at all of the tributes.
This thread needs to be in the "library".
Great ones need to be remembered, not for what has been lost, but for what has been gained.
Thanks.
DTS

[31lengths]

Originally Posted by gallant bloom

i thought
some of u
might want to
read this.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/tod...66587&subsec=1

Thank you for posting this. I was one of those tourist that made the 2 hour trek to meet LITF and the Dodds. They were so great and accomodating to us. We were lucky to get to say "thank you" to them when Foggy ran his last race at Calder in July. I hope to see them again sometime.
He will be VERY missed.

[kentuckyrosesinmay]

In my eyes, he was a GREAT. He won that race this year and I cry every time I think about it...Thanks everyone for showing so much love and sympathy towards Fog and his connections. I'm having a real hard time with this one... It's nice to see that others care as much as I do.

[westcoastinvader]

Thank you, Gallant Bloom.

Fitting resting place for Lost in the Fog
By DAVE GOLDMAN
Lost in the Fog is coming home, says Karen Dodd. Home for much of the life of the deceased Eclipse Award-winning sprinter was Greg and Karen Dodd's Southern Chase Farm in Williston, Fla. It is at this 430-acre nursery and training complex that Lost in the Fog will be memorialized and his ashes interred.
Bred in Florida by Susan Seper, the colt was pinhooked more or less by chance out of the 2003 Ocala Breeders' Sales yearling sale. The Dodds will candidly tell you that Lost in the Fog was not on their yearling pinhook list. Kelli Mitchell recommended the Lost Soldier colt when she noted the Dodds checking out her consignment. Greg Dodd, however, was not turned on by the colt's pedigree. All this changed when he saw the colt for the first time.

"When I saw Lost in the Fog, I liked what I saw," said Greg Dodd. "I didn't even think about looking at the catalog page, I just said to myself, 'This is a racehorse!' "

Kelli Mitchell assured him that the colt was okay - no known mitigating reasons not to buy him - and the Dodds went to $47,000 to buy a yearling that they had no intentions of buying.

Next stop in the Lost in the Fog saga came at the OBS spring sale of 2-year-olds in training. The colt brought bids in six figures, but those bids failed to meet their reserve. The Dodds ordinarily do not race their homebreds or purchases.

"Greg said let's go to the races with him," said Karen. "I said were in business to sell not race."

Prior to April of '04, the Dodds and the owner Harry Aleo-trainer Greg Gilchrist team had done business with a colt named Beyond Brilliance. Harry Aleo, the Dodds learned, had bid over $100,000 for the Lost in the Fog. Greg went to the phone and Lost in the Fog had a new owner.

"We sold him for $140,000," said Greg. "It was below our sales reserve, but we felt the colt was going to good customers and good people."

The business rapport established between the Dodds and both Aleo and Gilchrist has since evolved into a quasi-family relationship. The Dodds would travel to see their former charge race whenever and wherever, and when the time came for some rest and rejuvenation following last year's Breeders' Cup, the champion was sent to Southern Chase Farm to unwind.

"You know," said Karen Dodd, "I said it last year and I say it now: I knew something was wrong with Lost in the Fog when he was being saddled for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. He simply wasn't himself. He was furtive, he was unsettled. That was not his way. Of course, none of us could know then what was causing his discomfort."

Aleo and Gilchrist are in a special class, she said.

"It was like we all shared a relative," Karen said. "They spared no time or effort so that Lost in the Fog could have the best that money and science could provide."

Lost in the Fog will make one more journey before returning to Southern Chase Farm. He will have a necropsy done at the University of California-Davis.

"There is so little that we know about the causes and the nature of equine cancer and its treatment," said Karen. "Harry felt that here was an opportunity for Lost in the Fog to make a contribution to equine science. After the necropsy is finished, he will be cremated and his ashes will come to us

"Greg and I are looking for a proper site here on the farm. There's a big live oak that's suitable, or we could inter him by the racetrack. He's gone, but the memories remain and they always will. He had the courage of a champion and in many more ways than one."


Copyright © 2006 Daily Racing Form, LLC. All rights reserved.

Rest in peace.