HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Ferocious, among the top 2-year-old prospects in 2024 and on the Kentucky Derby trail earlier this year, has been euthanized due to laminitis, co-owner Ramiro Restrepo reported Monday.
Ferocious launched his career in sensational fashion last summer at Saratoga, winning his debut by 7 3/4 lengths while earning a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for trainer Gustavo Delgado. He finished second in both the Grade 1 Hopeful and Breeders’ Futurity in his two subsequent starts before concluding his campaign finishing a troubled fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Restrepo reported that Ferocious’s troubles began following his 3-year-old debut, a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park on February 1.
“He had an issue in the race that turned out to be a significant muscle tear,” Restrepo explained. “He developed an intense cellulitis infection that took two weeks at Rood and Riddle to cure, and it was at that point we got a clear diagnostic picture of his injury.
“We were told it would be a 90 to 120 [days of] rehab and recovery. He was healing properly when a secondary condition, a bone infection, developed that ultimately led to laminitis.”
Restrepo, who was part of the ownership group that won the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage, purchased Ferocious for $1.3 million at the 2024 OBS March 2-year-olds sale.
“He was supremely talented, an imposing physical specimen, rare individual to be around," Restrepo said. "It’s tough for the whole team, tough for everyone to digest."
Ferocious is the second prominent horse the stable has lost this year. Several weeks earlier, the very promising maiden Victory Avenue had to be euthanized after suffering a fatal injury following a routine workout at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old son of Arrogate earned a 97 Beyer Figure running second in his career debut in January of 2024, and returned from a long layoff to finish second again as the prohibitive 1-5 favorite at Gulfstream this past February.
“We all love horse racing, but it’s definitely been a tough go lately,” said Restrepo. “The great times, like winning the Derby, were unbelievable, and you have to embrace the joy then fight through the hard times as best we can. These were two supremely talented horses whose stories ended too soon and under unfortunate circumstances.”
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