UPDATE: Alliance Point will return to VI despite Bud White's career ending injury!
In an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online, Smith confirmed that Bud White had broken his left foreleg. “At this point we know that he’s not going to run again, but we’re just trying to get him down to St Thomas to see if we could save him… he’s a well bred horse, he’s a stallion.”
Smith said the injury was not only a loss to himself, but also to the entire Alliance Point Stables team as they were very much like a family. “It’s tough, it’s really tough for something like that to happen,” he said while keeping emotions in check.
The co-owner of Alliance Point Stables said that the injury did not signal the end of Alliance Point Stables and noted his appreciation for the support his team has received over the years from local fans. “We always came up here and had a wonderful time, we have no complaints about anything so we will be here again,” he said.
He set the record straight and sought to dispel rumours that the team ran the race with an injured horse and stated that the injured leg was different from the one suffered in a previous injury some time ago. “I don’t want anybody to start to think that we brought a horse up here that is not healthy because that is not the case.”
Co-Owner of L&B Stables, Violet ‘Letty’ Hodge, said she felt hurt about the incident, especially being a lover of horses and having suffered a similar fate with one of her horses last year.
Lake Texoma had to be put down following a broken leg during a training session at Ellis Thomas Downs on July 28, 2012.
“It’s painful and all I’m thinking is about the owners and how they feel and how I felt that day when I saw Lake Texoma,” she said.
Hodge said the injury was something that happened in horse racing, but no one liked when this happened. She said similar incidents were a real downfall for the owners, trainers and grooms who put in a tremendous amount of work. “You have these little thin legs supporting like 1500 pounds,” she said, “you could just be walking your horse and he makes a bad step and that’s the end of him. So it’s not just racing that could cause an injury like this.”
Broken Home of The Boys Stables, ridden by Alberto Soto, raced to victory in the feature race in a time of 1:23.03 ahead of Winaholic following Bud White’s injury. Bambi Bound (St Croix) was scratched from the race.
Bud White had been ahead by as many as three lengths before disaster befell the horse.
President of the VI Horse Owners Association, Karen Smith-Aaron indicated that she was not aware of the severity of the horse’s injury and was given conflicting reports about whether the horse’s leg was indeed broken.
Meanwhile, Shackles n Chains of St Thomas won the final race of the day, finishing ahead of four other competitors, All Country, Square One, Tiger Glider (St Thomas) and Bob Can’t Jump (St Thomas). Congo, out of St Croix, was scratched from the race.
Shackles n Chains' trainer, Andrew ‘Stylie’ Attwood, said his jockey had asked for instructions for the 7 furlongs race and he told him, “Break out and let’s go, break him and let’s go, if they run you down they run you down.” Attwood said his horse could run ahead of the pace just as any other horse.
Earlier, Queteparace Cholito won the first race of the day ahead of Power Ten and The Ghost, while Original Runner defeated X Pleasure (St Thomas) in the second race. What’s Popping (St Thomas) and Good Boy Daddy were scratched for this race.
Warrior’s Cove (St Thomas) secured victory in the fourth race with 1:30s, ahead of Extra Brew (St Thomas) and Mick G in the 7 furlongs race for Class B&C horses. Mae Ruler (St Thomas) dismissed all comers in the Open fillies and mares race by defeating Orithyia, Nat My Kiss and True Essence. Ohbabyobeyme of St Thomas was scratched.
See previous story posted June 2, 2013:
Bud White suffers broken leg at Downs!
SEA COWS BAY, Tortola, VI - Tragedy struck at Ellis Thomas Downs when, after leading for much of the fifth and feature race of the pre-Father’s Day races moments ago, June 2, 2013 Bud White pulled up suddenly with a broken leg close to the finish line.
The horse was seen in spasms as if in enormous pain as it stopped abruptly while coasting at least two lengths ahead of the pack.
Bud White is one of the few horses that made the trip from St Thomas to participate in the races today. While the full extent of the horse's injuries are unclear, from all indications the injury appears to be a very serious one.
Fans looked on in horror as the spectacle unfolded and officials and handlers tried to maintain control at the track.
The feature race was ultimately won by Broken Home in 1:23.03s as he surged past the injured Bud White on the home stretch with Winaholic in second place.
More details to follow.
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33 Responses to “UPDATE: Alliance Point will return to VI despite Bud White's career ending injury!”
I blame the NDP they will not maintain the track!!! second horse to broke its leg under this useless government …My*** is a waste
When Fraser had the track he brought in the people who laid the original surface and put down a new surface with a new inner reil all around the track at a huge cost. In less than 6 months we had heavy rain and the ghut overflowed and washed away the surface completely. In weeks, Fraser had brought the people back and the surface was replaced. What is this useless NDP government doing?