Horse Death at Belmont (4 Days Post-Race)?

[Montanas_Girl]

Has anyone else seen this? How very odd...sounds like some kind of virus maybe if the horse spiked a fever and later collapsed, but the article gives very little information.

http://msn.foxsports.com/horseracing/story/9693264/Horse-dies-4-days-after-winning-Belmont-Park-race?GT1=39002


Updated: June 17, 2009, 1:06 PM EDT
281 comments (http://msn.foxsports.com/horseracing/story/9693264/Horse-dies-4-days-after-winning-Belmont-Park-race?GT1=39002#tb)

NEW YORK (AP) - The winner of a stakes race at Belmont Park four days ago has collapsed and died in his stall at the race track.


Sailor's Cap won the Poker Stakes on Sunday, and trainer Jimmy Toner said in a release issued by breeder-owner Team Valor that the 4-year-old horse spiked a temperature Tuesday.
About 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Toner said the horse "simply collapsed" and that "we are all in complete shock over this turn of events."
Sailor's Cap won four of 10 races, including last year's Colonial Turf Cup. The cause of death is unknown. A necropsy will be performed at the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.

[Blinkers On]

Recently did battle with a simillar scenario. A shipper that ran really hard, came home, spiked a fever that bute barely touched for 8 hours, treated with pen/gen and in 2 days was deathly sick with a WBC of 4.7. Biosponge,charcoal, etc tubed several times a day for days. no less than 25 litres of fluids a day IV for days. WBC is finally on the rise slowly.
It was scary stuff. I'd bet my bottom dollar it is a like scenario. We just got lucky to save this one. No one thought we would.

[Linny]

Smart move to get a necropsy done. It is a strange situation and VERY VERY sad as this horse was one with great potential. His handlers are devastated.
Sailor's Cap looked great on Sunday and there was no reason to suspect that he was harboring any illness but his fever spiked on Tue. He was gone early today. If he contracted something contagious it is important to find out what it was.

[Blinkers On]

I really think that good horses that lay it all down. "balls on the table" so to speak, are so much more highly susceptible than a horse that doesn't run it's eye balls out. I think it's how the whole downward spiral starts. Colitis is a nasty and rapidly progressing thing. I too am interested in what necropsy says. It's a sad situation even if it is a $3200 claimer.

[SEPowell]

I just had a horse spike a 105 temp. There were no symptoms, she was eating, pooping, had a normal gait, grumpy toward the geldings, etc. I took her temp only because she didn't "seem right". The vet came out asap and we iv-ed banamine and doxycycline and I ran a cold hose on her. We got her temp to 100 in about 4 hours. The first suspect is Lyme, but Potomac Horse Fever and Lepto are also possibilities, as well as a list of other evil doers. I've been checking everyone elses' temps twice a day and so far all are normal.

It's amazing how quickly "normal" can go to "emergency". I was very lucky because I was away earlier in the week and had it happened then I'm sure it would have been missed. Also, if I had a dozen horses instead of 4 I may have failed to notice whatever it was that led me to take her temp.

I'll be interested to know the results of Sailor's Cap's necropsy as well as the lab tests from my mare. This was a real wake up call to me to stay vigilant and trust my intuition.
Edited to add: The vet called and said it is Lyme and the horse will be on doxy for 30 days