Lost in the Fog
Encyclopedia
Lost in the Fog was an American
thoroughbred
race horse. He won his first 10 starts (including two Breeders' Cup
stakes), 11 of his 14 lifetime starts across the country, and career earnings of $978,099 until his life was cut short by lymphoma
during his four-year-old season.
, his sire was Lost Soldier, (sire of 10 stakes winners and son of Danzig
, who was the son of Northern Dancer
—ranked #43 by The Blood-Horse
in their top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century). His dam was Cloud Break, a Dr. Carter mare. Unraced, Cloud Break is proving a successful broodmare; she also produced the stakes-placed How About My Place, by Out of Place. In foal to Speightstown, Cloud Break was acquired by WinStar Farm
in 2005's Fasig-Tipton
Kentucky
November mixed sale for $600,000. In 2006, she was sold to Charles Deter.
Lost in the Fog was a $13,000 weanling
and a $48,000 yearling
. Not reaching his reserve in the 2004 two-year-old Ocala, Florida
Breeders' Sale in March, he was sold privately for $140,000 to Harry Aleo, and throughout his short career was trained by Greg Gilchrist. Susan Seper said he was named the day she (literally) lost him in the fog.
's Golden Gate Fields
. In 2005, competing solely in stakes
company (with the exception of his maiden), he won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprint Horse
. He won 10 straight races by impressive margins, although his hopes of becoming the 2005 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
winner were dashed on October 29, 2005 when he finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup
Sprint
. After the Breeders' Cup, Lost in the Fog took six months off. Prior to that he was unbeaten, with a string of 10 sprint victories (short races—six or seven furlong
s on the dirt). Because of his success, he never went off at long odds
; indeed, he was favored in every lifetime start.
On June 3, 2006, Lost in the Fog returned to his winning ways for a final time with a victory in the six-furlong Grade 3
Aristides Breeders' Cup Handicap at Churchill Downs
(named for Aristides, the little horse who won the first Kentucky Derby
). Carrying high weight of 124 pounds and ridden by Russell Baze
, Lost in the Fog won the $69,024 winner's share of the purse and set a new stakes record. The Aristides was his 10th stakes victory. His final start was the Smile Sprint Handicap
at Calder
on July 15, 2006, in which the colt finished ninth. This puzzling result suggested to observers that something was wrong with the sprinter.
Note: The Ocala Stud Dash Stakes is also known as the Sunshine Millions Dash as part of the Sunshine Millions series for Florida-bred and California-bred horses.
, Lost in the Fog's handlers took him to the California-Davis veterinary school
. Performing a biopsy on the horse, the doctors discovered what they believed to be a cancerous mass on his spleen - a lymphoma
"about the size of a cantaloupe." The doctors thought that surgery was likely, a rare operation but possibly one that could have given Lost in the Fog a full life.
Gilchrist, his trainer, had thought that his horse's recent poor performances—winning only one of three starts this year—might have been due to quarter crack
s. "It turns out he's been running with this thing inside him this year," he said. "It shows you what kind of warrior this horse is." He also said that owner Harry Aleo was extremely concerned about his star. "We will do anything we can for the horse. It's almost a Barbaro
-type situation."
On August 18, the situation went from bad to grave to terminal. According to a report in The Blood-Horse, "Two additional tumors were discovered. The first, the size of an egg, was located in the membrane that suspends the spleen. The second, ...as large as the growth found originally on the spleen, is beneath (the horse's) spine along his back, very intimately against the body wall. It could not be removed surgically". Given the circumstances, Gilchrist said it would not be proper to extend Lost in the Fog's life beyond the horse's comfort level or subject him to chemotherapy or extensive surgery. "We'll keep him in the stall for a week or 10 days," the trainer said. "This would be the best thing to do, get him back with his groom. I just couldn't leave him up there (at Davis) to be euthanized and thrown in the bone yard. We're fine with a week, 10 days, maybe two weeks," he said. "But you get beyond that, his quality of life wouldn't be good. This way we'll let the people who have always been around him take care of him. We'll bring him home and make him as happy as we can for a while".
. The colt had been grazing, as he had done twice each day since the discovery of his cancer, when Gilcrist saw he was in obvious distress. True to his word, the trainer did not allow him to suffer. He said that Lost in the Fog was happy and peaceful until the end. An autopsy on Lost in the Fog revealed that the cancer was much more widespread than previously thought. An article in The Blood-Horse noted, "Located directly below his spine, one inoperable lymphoma ran almost the length of the colt's back. Doctors at University of California at Davis, where the necropsy also was performed, originally thought that tumor to be about one foot long. 'It went all the way from his pelvis to invade and erode his diaphragm and chest cavity', said Dr. David Wilson, director of UCD's large-animal clinic, who was part of a team of veterinarians and specialists who worked with the horse. 'It also involved his arteries, kidneys and intestinal organs. It actually invaded one kidney and compressed both. It came right up against his aorta', Wilson added. "He had experienced swelling in his hind legs and that was no doubt caused by the tumors pressing on blood vessels'. In earlier tests, the large tumor had been partially hidden from view by other organs". In addition to the primary growth, Lost in the Fog also bore a football-sized tumor in his spleen.
Harry Aleo was astounded that Lost in the Fog could perform at such a high level before his cancer was diagnosed. Doctors told the owner that the tumors could have been growing for up to a year. Only weeks before his death, however, he continued to record bullet workouts at Golden Gate. Lost in the Fog's remains were cremated. There had been discussion of their going to Greg and Karen Dodd's Southern Chase Farm in Williston, Florida
, where he was raised. However, arrangements were made for the colt's ashes to be buried at Golden Gate Fields where he was stabled. He is buried next to Silky Sullivan
.
, a five-furlong sprint for two-year-olds:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race horse. He won his first 10 starts (including two Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
stakes), 11 of his 14 lifetime starts across the country, and career earnings of $978,099 until his life was cut short by lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
during his four-year-old season.
Bloodlines
Bred by Susan Seper and foaled in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, his sire was Lost Soldier, (sire of 10 stakes winners and son of Danzig
Danzig (horse)
Danzig was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is best known as a leading sire. He was purchased for $310,000 by Henryk de Kwiatkowski at the 1978 Saratoga Yearling Sale...
, who was the son of Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
—ranked #43 by The Blood-Horse
The Blood-Horse magazine
The Blood-Horse is an international weekly news magazine about Thoroughbred horses, horse breeding, and horseracing. It was founded in 1916, the oldest continually published North American Thoroughbred magazine. The magazine is based in Lexington, Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World...
in their top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century). His dam was Cloud Break, a Dr. Carter mare. Unraced, Cloud Break is proving a successful broodmare; she also produced the stakes-placed How About My Place, by Out of Place. In foal to Speightstown, Cloud Break was acquired by WinStar Farm
WinStar Farm
WinStar Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farm near Versailles, Kentucky. Formerly known as Prestonwood Farm, it was owned by Houston, Texas oilmen Jack, Art, and J. R...
in 2005's Fasig-Tipton
Fasig-Tipton
The Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc. is an auction house for Thoroughbred horses founded in 1898 by William B. Fasig and Edward A. Tipton. It is the oldest auction company of its kind in North America....
Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
November mixed sale for $600,000. In 2006, she was sold to Charles Deter.
Lost in the Fog was a $13,000 weanling
Weanling
A weanling is an animal that has just been weaned. The term is usually used to refer to a type of young horse, a foal that has been weaned, usually between the ages of 6 months and a year. Once a year old, the horse is referred to as a yearling.-References:...
and a $48,000 yearling
Yearling (horse)
A yearling is a young horse of either sex that is between one and two years old. Yearlings are comparable in development to a very early adolescent, they are not fully mature physically, and while they may be in the earliest stages of sexual maturity, they are considered too young to be breeding...
. Not reaching his reserve in the 2004 two-year-old Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
Breeders' Sale in March, he was sold privately for $140,000 to Harry Aleo, and throughout his short career was trained by Greg Gilchrist. Susan Seper said he was named the day she (literally) lost him in the fog.
Winning streak
Lost in the Fog's home track was the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
's Golden Gate Fields
Golden Gate Fields
Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area...
. In 2005, competing solely in stakes
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
company (with the exception of his maiden), he won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprint Horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprint Horse
The American Champion Sprint Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1947, in 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to the top horse in sprint races usually run at a distance of under one mile)....
. He won 10 straight races by impressive margins, although his hopes of becoming the 2005 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
winner were dashed on October 29, 2005 when he finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
. After the Breeders' Cup, Lost in the Fog took six months off. Prior to that he was unbeaten, with a string of 10 sprint victories (short races—six or seven furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s on the dirt). Because of his success, he never went off at long odds
Odds
The odds in favor of an event or a proposition are expressed as the ratio of a pair of integers, which is the ratio of the probability that an event will happen to the probability that it will not happen...
; indeed, he was favored in every lifetime start.
Comeback
The colt lost his first 2006 start, finishing second behind Carthage in the April 22 Oakland Tribune Golden Gate Fields Sprint.On June 3, 2006, Lost in the Fog returned to his winning ways for a final time with a victory in the six-furlong Grade 3
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Aristides Breeders' Cup Handicap at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
(named for Aristides, the little horse who won the first Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
). Carrying high weight of 124 pounds and ridden by Russell Baze
Russell Baze
Russell Avery Baze is a horse racing jockey. He holds the record for the most race wins in North American horse racing history, and is a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame....
, Lost in the Fog won the $69,024 winner's share of the purse and set a new stakes record. The Aristides was his 10th stakes victory. His final start was the Smile Sprint Handicap
Smile Sprint Handicap
The Smile Sprint Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1999 at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Grade II sprint is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race six furlongs on the dirt....
at Calder
Calder Race Course
Calder Casino & Race Course is a casino and horse racetrack in Miami Gardens, Florida in the United States.-History:In the mid-1960s, real estate developer Stephen A. Calder envisioned summertime racing in Florida; in 1965, on the advice of Mr. Calder, the Florida Legislature approved a bill...
on July 15, 2006, in which the colt finished ninth. This puzzling result suggested to observers that something was wrong with the sprinter.
Races
| Finish | Race | Distance | Track | Jockey Jockey A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:... |
Post | Odds | Date |
| 9th | Smile Sprint Handicap Smile Sprint Handicap The Smile Sprint Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1999 at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Grade II sprint is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race six furlongs on the dirt.... |
Six Furlongs | Calder Race Course Calder Race Course Calder Casino & Race Course is a casino and horse racetrack in Miami Gardens, Florida in the United States.-History:In the mid-1960s, real estate developer Stephen A. Calder envisioned summertime racing in Florida; in 1965, on the advice of Mr. Calder, the Florida Legislature approved a bill... |
Russell Baze Russell Baze Russell Avery Baze is a horse racing jockey. He holds the record for the most race wins in North American horse racing history, and is a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame.... |
10 | 1.10 | July 15, 2006 |
| 1st | Aristides Breeders' Cup Stakes Aristides Breeders' Cup Stakes The Aristides Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The Grade III sprint race for three-year-olds is run on dirt over a distance of six furlongs The race currently offers a purse of $150,000.The Aristides Stakes is... |
Six Furlongs | Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs... |
Baze | 4 | 0.50 | June 3, 2006 |
| 2nd | Oakland Tribune | Six Furlongs | Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area... |
Baze | 2 | 0.40 | April 22, 2006 |
| 7th | Breeders' Cup Sprint Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World... |
Six Furlongs | Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905... |
Baze | 7 | 0.70 | October 29, 2005 |
| 1st | Bay Meadows Speed Handicap | Six Furlongs | Bay Meadows Bay Meadows Bay Meadows was a horse racing track in San Mateo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States.-History:Built on the site of an old airfield, Bay Meadows Racecourse was the longest continually operating thoroughbred racetrack in California, having been founded on November 13,... |
Baze | 1 | 0.05 | October 1, 2005 |
| 1st | King's Bishop Stakes King's Bishop Stakes The King's Bishop Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to sprint seven furlongs on dirt. The race is a Grade I event and carries a purse of $250,000... |
Seven Furlongs | Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John... |
Baze | 3 | 0.30 | August 27, 2005 |
| 1st | Carry Back Stakes Carry Back Stakes The Carry Back Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida. Run during the first part of July, the race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race six furlongs on the dirt... |
Six Furlongs | Calder Race Course | Baze | 5 | 0.05 | July 10, 2005 |
| 1st | Riva Ridge Breeders' Cup Stakes Woody Stephens Breeders' Cup Stakes The Woody Stephens Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A Grade II event raced on dirt over a distance of seven furlongs, it is open to three-year-old horses.... |
Seven Furlongs | Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905... |
Edgar Prado | 2 | 0.40 | June 11, 2005 |
| 1st | Golden Bear Breeders' Cup Stakes | Six Furlongs | Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area... |
Baze | 3 | 0.05 | May 14, 2005 |
| 1st | Bay Shore Stakes | Seven Furlongs | Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:... |
Baze | 1 | 0.05 | April 9, 2005 |
| 1st | Swale Stakes Swale Stakes The Swale Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A Grade II sprint race for three-year-olds, it is run on dirt over a distance of 7 furlongs... |
Seven Furlongs | Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America.... |
Baze | 10 | 0.50 | March 5, 2005 |
| 1st | Ocala Stud Dash Stakes Sunshine Millions Dash The Sunshine Millions Dash is an American race for thoroughbred horses held in January as part of the eight-race Sunshine Millions series. Run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California or at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida... * |
Six Furlongs | Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America.... |
Baze | 4 | 0.70 | January 25, 2005 |
| 1st | Arizona Juvenile Stakes | Six Furlongs | Turf Paradise Turf Paradise Turf Paradise is a thoroughbred and quarter horse racetrack in the North Mountain section of Phoenix, Arizona in the United States.-History:... |
Baze | 9 | 0.50 | December 26, 2004 |
| 1st | Maiden Special Weight | Five Furlongs | Golden Gate Fields | Baze | 5 | 1.20 | November 14, 2004 |
Note: The Ocala Stud Dash Stakes is also known as the Sunshine Millions Dash as part of the Sunshine Millions series for Florida-bred and California-bred horses.
Cancer
In August 2006, believing the horse to be suffering from a mild bout of colicHorse colic
Colic in horses is defined as abdominal pain, but it is a clinical sign rather than a diagnosis. The term colic can encompass all forms of gastrointestinal conditions which cause pain as well as other causes of abdominal pain not involving the gastrointestinal tract. The most common forms of colic...
, Lost in the Fog's handlers took him to the California-Davis veterinary school
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, is the largest veterinary school in the United States. Established in 1948, the school is the primary health resource for California's various animal populations. The school is ranked 2nd for veterinary schools in the country...
. Performing a biopsy on the horse, the doctors discovered what they believed to be a cancerous mass on his spleen - a lymphoma
Lymphoma in animals
Lymphoma in animals is a type of cancer defined by a proliferation of malignant lymphocytes within solid organs such as the lymph nodes, bone marrow, liver and spleen. The disease also may occur in the eye, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. It is also known as lymphosarcoma.-Lymphoma in...
"about the size of a cantaloupe." The doctors thought that surgery was likely, a rare operation but possibly one that could have given Lost in the Fog a full life.
Gilchrist, his trainer, had thought that his horse's recent poor performances—winning only one of three starts this year—might have been due to quarter crack
Quarter crack
A quarter crack is a term used by horsemen to describe a vertical split in a horse hoof wall at or about the quarter or widest part of the hoof. Quarter cracks are not an uncommon injury in horses worked extensively in horseshoes....
s. "It turns out he's been running with this thing inside him this year," he said. "It shows you what kind of warrior this horse is." He also said that owner Harry Aleo was extremely concerned about his star. "We will do anything we can for the horse. It's almost a Barbaro
Barbaro
Barbaro was an American thoroughbred who decisively won the 2006 Kentucky Derby, but shattered his leg two weeks later in the 2006 Preakness Stakes, ending his racing career and eventually leading to his death....
-type situation."
On August 18, the situation went from bad to grave to terminal. According to a report in The Blood-Horse, "Two additional tumors were discovered. The first, the size of an egg, was located in the membrane that suspends the spleen. The second, ...as large as the growth found originally on the spleen, is beneath (the horse's) spine along his back, very intimately against the body wall. It could not be removed surgically". Given the circumstances, Gilchrist said it would not be proper to extend Lost in the Fog's life beyond the horse's comfort level or subject him to chemotherapy or extensive surgery. "We'll keep him in the stall for a week or 10 days," the trainer said. "This would be the best thing to do, get him back with his groom. I just couldn't leave him up there (at Davis) to be euthanized and thrown in the bone yard. We're fine with a week, 10 days, maybe two weeks," he said. "But you get beyond that, his quality of life wouldn't be good. This way we'll let the people who have always been around him take care of him. We'll bring him home and make him as happy as we can for a while".
Death
Lost in the Fog was vanned back to his stall at Golden Gate Fields, where he was pampered for his remaining days. On September 17, 2006, he was quietly euthanizedAnimal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
. The colt had been grazing, as he had done twice each day since the discovery of his cancer, when Gilcrist saw he was in obvious distress. True to his word, the trainer did not allow him to suffer. He said that Lost in the Fog was happy and peaceful until the end. An autopsy on Lost in the Fog revealed that the cancer was much more widespread than previously thought. An article in The Blood-Horse noted, "Located directly below his spine, one inoperable lymphoma ran almost the length of the colt's back. Doctors at University of California at Davis, where the necropsy also was performed, originally thought that tumor to be about one foot long. 'It went all the way from his pelvis to invade and erode his diaphragm and chest cavity', said Dr. David Wilson, director of UCD's large-animal clinic, who was part of a team of veterinarians and specialists who worked with the horse. 'It also involved his arteries, kidneys and intestinal organs. It actually invaded one kidney and compressed both. It came right up against his aorta', Wilson added. "He had experienced swelling in his hind legs and that was no doubt caused by the tumors pressing on blood vessels'. In earlier tests, the large tumor had been partially hidden from view by other organs". In addition to the primary growth, Lost in the Fog also bore a football-sized tumor in his spleen.
Harry Aleo was astounded that Lost in the Fog could perform at such a high level before his cancer was diagnosed. Doctors told the owner that the tumors could have been growing for up to a year. Only weeks before his death, however, he continued to record bullet workouts at Golden Gate. Lost in the Fog's remains were cremated. There had been discussion of their going to Greg and Karen Dodd's Southern Chase Farm in Williston, Florida
Williston, Florida
Williston is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,297 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 2,467.-Geography:Williston is located at ....
, where he was raised. However, arrangements were made for the colt's ashes to be buried at Golden Gate Fields where he was stabled. He is buried next to Silky Sullivan
Silky Sullivan
Silky Sullivan was an American thoroughbred race horse best known for his come-from-behind racing style...
.
Lost in the Fog Stakes
On September 30, 2006, Golden Gate Fields celebrated Lost in the Fog's life. In 2007, the track hosted the inaugural Lost in the Fog StakesLost in the Fog (Sprint)
The Lost in the Fog Stakes is an American ungraded stakes run at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California for Thoroughbred two-year-old horses. A five-furlong sprint, the race is named in honor of Lost in the Fog, the brilliant sprinter who made his name between 2004 and 2006 before dying of...
, a five-furlong sprint for two-year-olds:
| Date | Purse | Distance | Track | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time | Odds |
| June 10 | $50,000 | 5f | Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area... |
Imaginary Sailor | Chad Schvaneveldt | Jerry Hollendorfer | :57.70 | 0.50 |
Documentary
A documentary, Lost in the Fog, was produced by John Corey for release in 2008. The film made its world premiere at the CineVegas Film Festival in June 2008, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary. The Film was also nominated as Best First Feature at IDFA, the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam.External links
- Article on Lost in the Fog's terminal diagnosis at Brisnet
- Article on Lost in the Fog's terminal diagnosis at Daily Racing Form (free registration at DRF required to read)
- SF Weekly profile of Lost in the Fog
- Article on the Fog's owner, Harry Aleo
- Article on Greg Gilchrist
- Article on Lost In The Fog Documentary
- Lost in the Fog documentary website