Fire at San Luis Rey!?

[bare it all]

Scott Hansen lost a whole barn full...nothing a world beater but nice horses that brought home a few checks all the same. Looks like most owned by Gary Broad. What an absolute gut check.

[Catalina]

Scott Hansen lost a whole barn full...nothing a world beater but nice horses that brought home a few checks all the same. Looks like most owned by Gary Broad. What an absolute gut check.

As, I am sure, we all wish the decision to let them run loose had come minutes earlier.

[barbaro111]

HORSES LOST IN LILAC FIRE IDENTIFIED
http://www.chrb.ca.gov/press_releases/2 ... elease.pdf

Reading the list of deceased horses fills me with immense sadness and makes those losses all so real

[Sparrow Castle]

Yes, seeing the names makes it very final...a good thing for at least some of us. Still hard to believe California Diamond was among them.

A story could be told about all of them I'm sure, but just to say a bit about Los Borrachos. A 2011 son of Pulpit-Champagne Taste, he was a hard-knocking $32k claimer that Miller had just claimed for Rockingham. He won a couple of races at Del Mar this summer and had been claimed several times since. 36-6-6-6, $318,377, Earnings Per Start: $8,844. The kind of horse many would love to have in the barn.

Peter Miller said he still has seven horses in the equine hospital at San Luis Rey with burns and injuries. I so hope all the wounded, equine and human, recover well and return to doing what they love.

I'm going to copy the names here so they might come up in a Search.

Horses known or believed to have perished in the Dec. 7 Lilac fire listed by trainer:

Herman Ackerson
Handsome Beau

Martine Bellocq
Royal Kuna
Wild Bill Hickory

Phil D'Amato
Oddsmaker
Riri

Daniel Dunham
Packin Heat
Sir Charmalot

Scott Hansen
Monster Man
Oughttobeking
Puig
Stormin Norman
Aussie Rock Star (Ire)
Baby Bruin
Chrysaor
Dodgertown
Fregosi
He's a Pleasure
Malibu Vixen
Mr. Hockey
Rocknrollallnight
Sunset Grill
Potent
Cat Dreamer (pony)

Joe Herrick
Call Me First
Everlovin Woman
Only One Love
Ourroseofthenile
Ral Rue
Sarah Sunshine

Juan C. Lopez
Fast Freddie
Yrlg. colt, Slew’s Tiznow-Chalula One

Peter Miller
Amalfi Drive
California Diamond
Doc Raj
Lizmeister
Los Borrachos

Kimberly Schaffer-Marrs
Shortstormcoming

Clifford Sise
Candy Twist
Scat Home Lady
Colt City Zip-Sweet Thoughts
Colt Quality Road-Cool Flame
Filly Into Mischief-Warm Hugs

Les Baker (outrider)
Paint pony (name not known)

Unknown horses
3
http://www.drf.com/news/chrb-identifies ... s-rey-fire

[Sparrow Castle]

More info about the fundraiser. This looks like some of the money raised will be used to help pay for the medical expenses of the horses who were burned or suffered other injuries. I sure hope so anyway. Some owners will have a hard time absorbing the cost, and some of these horses may not be able to return to racing.

Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach to Play Belly Up Fundraiser for Fire Victims

Instead of 'wishin' and hopin' that aid comes to those affected by the recent Lilac Fire, Grammy Award-winning composer/songwriter/singer Burt Bacharach is taking matters into his own hands.

On Jan. 17, 2018, Bacharach will team with fellow Grammy-winning rock icon Elvis Costello, along with some other celebrity friends, to host a fundraiser at the Belly Up billed as "An Evening of Music To Support the Victims of the Fire at San Luis Rey Downs Training Center."
...

All proceeds from the event will be equally split between the California Thoroughbred Horsemen's Foundation and the California Retirement Management Account. According to the DMTC press release, "funds generated during the evening will be used for people such as the trainers, grooms and stable help who helped at San Luis Rey and were displaced by the fire," and added that "funds raised from the evening will be used specifically for the ongoing aid and care of the horses impacted by the fire that day."

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/sound ... 37773.html

[BaroqueAgain1]

"...and some of these horses may not be able to return to racing. "

It seems likely that any horse who suffered burns, especially around the head and neck, would also have inhaled hot smoke and gases during the fire. Hard to imagine their lungs will ever completely heal, or at least enough to handle the rigors of racing.
If none of them end up with pneumonia, I would be very thankful.

[Sparrow Castle]

"...and some of these horses may not be able to return to racing. "

It seems likely that any horse who suffered burns, especially around the head and neck, would also have inhaled hot smoke and gases during the fire. Hard to imagine their lungs will ever completely heal, or at least enough to handle the rigors of racing.
If none of them end up with pneumonia, I would be very thankful.

I know there's more than a few who will need new careers. Glad to see there may be help for that, and hoping for the best long-term.

[katmandu]

A story could be told about all of them I'm sure, but just to say a bit about Los Borrachos. A 2011 son of Pulpit-Champagne Taste, he was a hard-knocking $32k claimer that Miller had just claimed for Rockingham. He won a couple of races at Del Mar this summer and had been claimed several times since. 36-6-6-6, $318,377, Earnings Per Start: $8,844. The kind of horse many would love to have in the barn.

Los Borrachos was second to Heart to Heart in the Better Talk Now at Saratoga in 2014. He was followed by Pure Sensation. . . keeping pretty good company in those days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK9t8xmkOb8

RIP Los Borrachos

[Sparrow Castle]

TVG‏Verified account @TVG
The Southern CA racing community suffered a tragedy of monumental proportion this month as the #LilacFire ripped through San Luis Rey Downs Training Facility. We take a moment to honor the #SanLuisRey heroes who together saved more than 400 horses & remember those who were lost.

https://twitter.com/TVG/status/945792416266600448

[Ridan_Remembered]

TVG‏Verified account @TVG
The Southern CA racing community suffered a tragedy of monumental proportion this month as the #LilacFire ripped through San Luis Rey Downs Training Facility. We take a moment to honor the #SanLuisRey heroes who together saved more than 400 horses & remember those who were lost.

https://twitter.com/TVG/status/945792416266600448

Still much too hard to take in without tears and heartache. I see one owner lost a lot of horses. How do you pick yourself up after something like that? Two days after this fire, on Dec. 9, I had to put my beloved little cat down. She had cardiomyopathy and there's really no practical way to treat that in a cat. I know that in the great scheme of things, she was just a little 11-year-old cat. But to me, she was a dear, dear friend who I bottle fed and hand raised after rescuing her at about 3 days old. I know how much I hurt having to put her down and how much I miss her, so the though of losing multiple horses all at once in that fire is too horrible to fully take in.

My heart goes out to everyone who was injured and/or lost horses, and the backstretch workers who might have lost everything they own. I donated, but somehow it's not enough.

[Catalina]

I am so very sorry about your cat, Ridan_Remembered. One feels so helpless when a gentle goodbye is all that medicine can offer. It hurts so badly to lose them even so.

My prayers are with all that lived through the nightmare of the SLR fire.

[BaroqueAgain1]

So sorry, RR. I've lived long enough to have had a few generations of cat friends, so I know how much it hurts to lose one.
I know that we are designed to live longer than our four-legged friends but, no matter how many well-loved years I can give them, it never feels like enough...when that time comes.
For the people who went through the SLR fire, and who lost horses, that pain is going to last a long, long time. I hope some of those donations are going to counseling for the workers who fought so hard for their charges, but who couldn't save them all.
That tragic event is going cast a shadow over California racing for some time.

[Ridan_Remembered]

@Catalina and BaroqueAgain1, thank you both for your kindness. Means a lot to me.

[shenanigans]

Ridan Remembered: in the grand scheme of things, your cat was your friend, part of your family, someone who helped make you the person you are. I am so very sorry about all the horses lost in the Lilac fire, but I am also sorry for your loss as well. Three years ago we had to have our cat euthanized, and while it was the right thing to do, that doesn't mean it didn't hurt or that I don't miss her to this day. My deepest condolences.

[Squally]

Add me to the list of people who don't ever think there is any such thing as "Just a cat". So very sorry for your loss. They are family. They are our hearts.

[sweettalk]

anyone who ever says "it was just a cat/dog/horse/hamster/any pet", they must be very miserable people. i hope they find happiness somewhere.

[Ridan_Remembered]

Thank you Shenanigans and Squally. I'm so glad to find people here who understand. I did not mean to hijack this thread with the news about my cat, but only meant to highlight the greater tragedy of the SLR fire that took so much from so many, equine and human alike. To me, it's an important perspective, yet because my Kitty died literally two days after the fire, both events are forever associated now to me.

My little cat -- and she was little, only between 8 and 9 pounds -- was in a litter of newborn kittens that I rescued in May 2006. They had been tossed in a dumpster. Vet said they were only 3 days old, cold, hungry and infested with fleas. I hand raised them, found homes for all of them and kept the smallest one. She used to follow me around like a puppy. Slept on my bed every night. Came when called. Mooched treats and just generally loved me in her own cat way. So thank you all for understanding -- both the larger perspective of the fire and my personal perspective of Kitty's loss.

Some good out of hearbreak: Here is a photo from a Team Valor tweet (https://twitter.com/TeamValor/status/94 ... 49536?s=04) of members of Pete Miller's staff who saved so many horses. Team Valor has distributed over $25,00 to them.

[serenassong]

So sorry for your loss, RR. I have sent way too many over the Bridge. With the exception of one, all were shelter/abandoned cats.
In June- on my dog's birthday of all things- I lost one of my cats very suddenly. She threw what they call a saddle clot and there was nothing that could be done but to let her be released from pain. It was traumatic- but I did find some comfort in the fact that she displayed symptoms as I was getting ready for work that day- so she was only in pain for less than 2 hours- which, is still a lot, but better than finding her after work hours later like that. She was just under 10- I had one that died at 6- but she was born with cardiac issues and cancer complicated matters. All my others lived late teens, early 20's
It never get easy- you just accept it over time

I got into a heated argument with someone who told me that animals had no souls and their was no place in Heaven for them. How heartless they were and obviously never knew the love of a pet.

Take care and morn in your way- only you know what's appropriate- each case is different

[Starine]

I am also sorry for your loss, RR. Losing a pet is never easy; they truly are a part of your family. I hope in time you will be able to welcome another four-legged friend into your heart.

[Sparrow Castle]

Oh very sorry, Ridan. Most of my pets died naturally at ripe old ages, some in their sleep. I was unprepared about a year and a half ago when I had to make the big Decision for my 16 year old Bengal cat, who was suffering kidney disease and not tolerant of the treatment. She also was tiny, the runt of litter that I rescued from the breeder, and she was the cat-love of my life. I still miss her, it's so hard to lose such a special friend. But her funny antics and the happy memories she left now make me smile. Even knowing the sad ending, I bet we would do it again in a heartbeat.