Off the Menu: Gourmet Dinner and Prime Cut survive Thoroughbred racing

With names such as “Gourmet Dinner” and “Prime Cut” one wonders whether this constitutes a deplorable sense of humor given the horrible fate that awaits many racehorses, or whether it is an earnest effort to make a compelling anti-slaughter statement intended to provoke public outcry and bring the slaughter issue to the forefront of racing. —JANE ALLIN

Source: Racing through the Slaughter Pipeline; The Horse Fund

In the case of these horses, they have not fulfilled what those unfortunate names imply, and survived Thoroughbred racing and thankfully avoided entering the slaughter pipeline.

Gourmet Dinner enjoys some grazing outside Barn 2, Colonial Downs.

GOURMET DINNER

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program announced today that graded stakes winner Gourmet Dinner has arrived at their Marysville, Ohio facility to start preparing for a second career.

Bred by Ocala Stud and William Terrill and raced by Terrill’s Sugar Bear Racing, Gourmet Dinner won the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes in 2010. The gelding retires with a total of 34 starts and over $1-million in earnings.

In April, Terrill lost Gourmet Dinner in a $50,000 claiming race, before claiming him back for $25,0000 three months later.

Gourmet Dinner comes to the program in collaboration with NYTHA’s TAKE THE LEAD Program, which partners with established aftercare programs to provide rehabilitation and retraining placements for the Thoroughbreds retiring from competition on the New York Racing Association circuit.

Said Terrill, “I believe in these organizations, and I really love Gourmet Dinner. He’s a special horse. We claimed him back so we could make sure he had a good home when he left the racetrack. I know that New Vocations will take great care of him.”

Source: The Paulick Report; 17 December 2014

Thoroughbred Racehorse, PRIME CUT.

PRIME CUT

Prime Cut, a half brother to eventual graded stakes winners Vyjack and Tepin, had all the promise in the world when Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall first caught glimpse of him as a weanling at the 2008 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

“We bought (his dam) Life Happened for $45,000 not in foal because Prime Cut was right behind her (in the sale) and was so unbelievably gorgeous,” said Brogden, who was also the underbidder on the son of Bernstein.

Prime Cut was pinhooked for $55,000 at that sale by F.J.M. Stables, after which he fetched $475,000 from Mike Ryan the following year at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Brogden never guessed that after Prime Cut had earned two graded stakes placings and banked more than $165,000 she would have another opportunity to purchase the colt–this time for just $1,000.

After a career-ending injury, Prime Cut was offered at the 2013 Keeneland November sale as a stallion prospect, but with the absence of graded stakes victories on his resume, nobody was interested.

“He’s 16’3, drop dead gorgeous, and here he would have been a no-bid at the sale unless I bid $1,000 on him,” said Brogden. “Tom Thornbury (of Keeneland) came (to let me sign the ticket) and I just started crying…because it’s such a sad statement for our industry. Here’s a horse that sold as a weanling for $55,000, sold for $475,000 as a yearling, then went on the (Kentucky) Derby trail and competed in high-level graded stakes, giving people lots of thrills and earning more than $100,000, and then he was just dumped like he was worthless.”

Today, Prime Cut is being trained for a new career, thanks to the actions of Brogden and her sister, Kristy Willwerth, who is working with him at her Picturesque Farm near Warrenton, Va.

Brogden hopes the fact she purchased Prime Cut–a horse with whom she had been formerly connected–in order to ensure his safety and welfare will inspire other breeders to do the same.

Source: BloodHorse.com; OTTB Spotlight; 20 January, 2014