Rahy's Attorney, best known for his upset win in the 2008 Woodbine Mile (Can-IT), has been retired from racing with a career record of 14-10-4 from 41 starts.
The gelding, who was pulled up and vanned off following a runner up effort in the Aug. 13 Sword Dancer (gr. IT) at Saratoga, sustained a minor leg injury, but is expected to make a full recovery, according to trainer Ian Black.
“Turning down the backside, (jockey) Emma-Jayne (Wilson) said he took a funny step, so she pulled him up and called for the horse ambulance,” said Black. “He seemed to cool out fine, and the longer he walked, the better he seemed to get.”
The next morning, after being examined by a veterinarian, Rahy’s Attorney was cleared to be shipped to Woodbine. Black didn’t discover the filling in gelding’s left pastern until the morning of Aug. 15.
“The vet decided to ultrasound it and there was a lesion in his digital tendon,” said Black. “With a young horse, if you give them time off, they’ll probably come back. But as good as Rahy’s Attorney has been to everybody, and the fact he’s almost 8, no one wanted to bring him back and have something worse happen to him.”
The 7-year-old gelding by Crown Attorney was bred in Ontario by Joe and Ellen MacLellan's Ellie Boje Farms and was campaigned by that operation in partnership with Joe's mother Jean MacLellan, Mitch Peters, and Dean Read.
“Apart from the Woodbine Mile, the Sword Dancer was one of the bravest, best races (Rahy's Attorney) had ever run,” Black said. “It looked as though they were getting to him and going to pass him, but he just said, ‘No.’ That’s the type of horse he is.”
Rahy's Attorney ended his career with earnings of $2,120,208, and was named the Canadian male turf champion in 2008. He also counts the 2008 Connaught Cup (Can-III), and 2009 Nijinsky (Can-IIT) and King Edward Handicap (Can--IIT) among his victories. He set the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine course record in the King Edward, running the distance in 1:44.73.
“What I’ll always associate him with is his complete and utter consistency and honesty,” said Black. “He’s such a pleasure.”
Black said Rahy’s Attorney, who won two of his six starts this year, including the March 26 Pan American (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park, would recover at Ellie Boje near Ottowa, Canada, after which he may become a track pony.
“He would make a lovely pony,” said Black. “He loves to go out on the racetrack and stand and watch. Even when he was training, he’d stand there forever if you’d let him before he galloped. So there is a possibility we could do something like that with him, because he does love the racetrack life.”