Sky Diamond

From AlexBrownRacing

Sky Diamond made more than $500,000 in his career. He ended his career in a $7.5 claiming race at Monmouth Park on Saturday August 23 2008. Broken sesamoids - he was euthanized. He was a member of the Top Bunk List.

We lost a "TopBunkListed" horse :((

Sky Diamond:

SKY DIAMOND 2000-2008

ONTARIO-BRED

8-years-old, Sky Classic-Sometimesadiamond

47 starts 15 wins 3 seconds

Earnings $539,352

Ran for $5K at Monmouth 8/7; finished 3rd of 5; "Dueled inside and stayed on well to the end." Prior race was 7/24 at Monmouth for $7.5K; won; "drew clear late, driving." Prior race was 7/9 at Monmouth for $7.5K; finished second.

Broke down 8/23 at Monmouth, first race. Euthanized.

We'll miss you, Champion.

Jen's Thoroughblog:

A wrap of the all the fun stuff from this weekend follows a very important story from Saturday.

SKY DIAMOND 2000-2008

ONTARIO-BRED

8-years-old, Sky Classic-Sometimesadiamond

47 starts 15 wins 3 seconds

Earnings $539,352

If you follow THOROUGHBLOG you know that fair and respectable treatment of the racehorse is a focus.

Thoroughblog tries to dedicate time and money to horse retirement groups.

Abuse of horses, for instance racing them into the ground when they are no longer competitive, sending horses to slaughter without even a thought to find them homes and just plain and simple ill-respect for the horse and his or her after-racing life is unacceptable.

This summer, one horse who came up a lot was SKY DIAMOND, one of just half a dozen horses racing for bottoms claiming that had earned over $500,000 in a career. (Stats were produced by DAILY RACING FORM and submitted to Alex Brown racing.)

Here is the day I realized SKY DIAMOND, stakes placed at Woodbine for years who was bred by Sam-Son Farms and raced for Roger Patten, Sid Attard, Paul Attard, Robert Tiller (once) and a litany of others, was still racing.. A write up I did a few months back...he made the:

THE TOP BUNK LIST (from earlier this summer)

Earners of $500,000 racing for $5,000 claiming or less..

From AlexBrownRacing.com

The Top Bunk List is a list of horses, still racing, that have made more than $500,000 and are running for $5,000 or less. We are tracking these horses, thanks to Daily Racing Form's horse watch program. We are trying to retire these horses before they get into a more serious situation. At any given time, there are anywhere between 6 - 10 horses on this list. Current list:

Ask The Lord: Retired Ask the Lord gets new life on farm DRF, excerpt: A few months ago, Brown compiled a list of 10 horses who have earned $500,000 or more and are running for a claiming price of $5,000 or less. His goal is retirement for all of them, and so far two of them are off the track, Ask the Lord and Top Bunk.

Frazee's Folly

Judge's Case Retired (was retired off site!)

Lights on Broadway - raced 4th at Anthony Downs on weekend!! (Update - retired!)

Out of My Way

Pay Attention

Rudirudy

Sky Diamond -

YIKES - Canadian bred from Sam-Son Farms, currently owned by Leo-Sag Stables, trained by Bobby DiBona. Sky Diamond has been claimed 5 times since Jan. of last year and he's only raced 12 times in that span. He was recently claimed for $5,000 and raced July 8 for $7,500 and was 2nd. He is 8-years-old.

Spicy Stuff

Witt Ante - 7th for $4,000 claiming at Evangeline on Friday!!

So, on Saturday at MONMOUTH PARK, in the 1st race, SKY DIAMOND's life came to an end.

The gallant fellow broke front sesamoids but continued to run to the finish line. He was euthanized on the track.

Leo -Sag Stable and Bobby DiBona were his current owner and trainer.

How many times have we seen this this year? Horses collapse at very old ages at the track - perhaps because of just too much stress, too many drugs, what have you.

Horses break down on the track ate ages of 8, 9 or 10 or more.

And SKY DIAMOND met his fate at at high profile track like Monmouth.

Good grief..what is going on at other little tracks around North America?

With the banning of horse slaughter finally being considered in all aspects of the media, let's pull up our shorts and try to stop the needless deaths of horses on the track too.

Yes, SKY DIAMOND was a galant soldier who rarely ran a bad race. He won 3 starts ago too. But why was he racing for $5K claiming and $7,500? Because he is simply old? Or did he have any infirmities over the years of his racing?

Only those who trained him, groomed him and loved him will know.

8/26/08 - There has been no issued statement from the interests of that horse or Monmouth Park regarding this breakdown.

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