VI’s champion race horse Actspectation is dead
Virgin Islands News Online was informed that the retired champion horse that generated Virgin Islands pride from 2001 to 2005 was euthanised today, September 22, 2015.
Owner of Actspectation Violet ‘Letty’ Hodge confirmed the death of the legendary horse to this news site.
“This morning we had to put him down. It was his age. I guess it was his time to go,” she said.
“He wasn’t looking too good for the past couple of days and then I didn’t know whether he was in pain or anything so I had a vet come in this morning to check and she was trying different things and she [the vet] said that she thought it was time. So I went along with her,” said Hodge.
19 straight wins for Actspectation still stands as a record
“I am so heartbroken. What can I say…Actspectation put the BVI on the map when it came to horseracing and he continued with 19 straight wins and five Chief Ministers Cups. Those are records that won’t be broken anytime soon,” said Hodge.
Actspectation, fondly called ‘Act’, officially ended his 40-race career at the then Little "A" Racetrack in Sea Cows Bay in December 2005 with a three-length victory over Sprint Yack in a seven furlong $4,000 sprint.
The race card was appropriately dubbed, "Farewell to a champion, the true Virgin Islands Champion".
The champion horse would return to the track, however, and was retired again in 2007 and finally in 2009.
Actspectation was brought to the Virgin Islands by L&B Stables from Miami in 2000 and won his first race on December 26, 2001.
Following his 19-race winning streak, Act was honored with a VI postage stamp and was featured on a CCT Global Communications $20 phone card.
The famous 'Act' was never put to pasture and was often paraded at various race meets much to the delight of racing fans who were very familiar with 'Act’s' accomplishments and the joy that he brought to Virgin Islands horse racing over a decade ago.
19 Responses to “VI’s champion race horse Actspectation is dead”
Even in softball they would make stupid comments that Tortola man can only pitch when in fact we would go down there and beat them and our players went down there and made their league a success.
But act was the symbol of dominance and BVI pride even people who did not like horse racing cheered for him. He is gone but like alot of our great heroes should not be forgotten. There needs to be a statue of him by the entrance of the track. But sadly we here dont like to honor true heroes.
Act was my favorite . He was the demon from L & B stables. No other horse could match up with '
Him . We love you act RIP......