Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Vicar's in Trouble, winner of the 2014 Louisiana Derby (gr. II), was put down March 11 due to complications of laminitis, it was confirmed by Ramsey Farm general manager Mark Partridge.
Bred in Louisiana by Spendthrift Farm, Vicar's in Trouble was from the second crop of Into Mischief , out of Vibrant, by Vicar. An $8,000 sale yearling, the Ramsey's purchased Vicar's in Trouble for $80,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale in 2013 from Pike Racing.
A winner at 2, he won Fair Grounds Race Course & Slot's Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) in his 3-year-old bow by 6 3/4 lengths. Third in the Risen Star Stakes (gr. II), he bounced back to win the Louisiana Derby by 3 1/2 lengths and headed to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
He finished 19th behind California Chrome under the Twin Spires after breaking from the rail, but rallied later in the year to place in the Iowa Derby (gr. III) and West Virginia Derby (gr. II) before winning the Super Derby (gr. II) at Louisiana Downs by 7 1/4 lengths. He then was second in the Indiana Derby (gr. II) before a career-ending injury occurred in that year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) at Santa Anita.
"He was a tough horse," Partridge said.
As the Ramseys tried their best to allow Vicar's in Trouble to recover to let him move on to become a stallion, he foundered and laminitis set in.
"There were some people in Louisiana interested in standing him, but were unable to get the laminitis under control," Partridge said. "Even with all the pain, he was a tough s.o.b."
Vicar's in Trouble went 4-1-4 in 11 starts and earned $1,228,292.
