Pie N Burger dead at age 8

[moke0043]

This is sad...

By MARY RAMPELLINI
Pie N Burger, who for years ruled as one of the top handicap horses in Louisiana and Texas, died of a heart attack during a routine gallop two weeks ago at Louisiana Downs, said his longtime trainer, Cole Norman.
Pie N Burger, who was 8, won 14 of 43 starts and $924,133. Of his wins, six came in stakes races, among them the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap; the Ark-La-Tex Handicap at Louisiana Downs; and two runnings of the Evangeline Mile. Pie N Burger also shipped from Louisiana Downs and won the $150,000 Seabiscuit Handicap on the Breeders' Cup undercard at Santa Anita in 2003.

"That was the best horse I ever laid my hands on," said Norman, who went on to recount the win in the Seabiscuit. "You don't see many of those horses go 22 and 45 and 1:09 and keep going the mile and sixteenth in 1:42. That's what you call an old class horse, a handicap horse. It's been a tough two weeks."

Pie N Burger had been working at Louisiana Downs since March in preparation for his first start since December 2004, when he finished second by a nose to Midway Road in the Tenacious Handicap at Fair Grounds. While he was away from the races, Pie N Burger had bone chips removed from his ankles, said Norman.

"We gave him time, plus a lot more," said Norman. "We just babied him and it worked. He came back perfect."

Norman trained Pie N Burger for the Kagele brothers. Pie N Burger began his career in Southern California and was claimed out of his debut for $62,500. He raced with several different trainers in the West before being claimed for $100,000 and sent to this region and to Norman.