Former Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector euthanized at Saratoga

Art Collector, the winner of the 2020 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, was euthanized Thursday after being diagnosed with laminitis.

The 6-year-old by Bernardini won 11 of his 23 career starts, including victories in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup in January, the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic last year, the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes and Grade 2 Charles Town Classic in 2021 and the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in 2020. His career earnings were $4,231,290.

Horse Racing Nation was first to report the euthanization at Saratoga.

“He was a victim of laminitis, something that progressed rapidly within the last two days, and he just he couldn’t be saved,” trainer Bill Mott told Horse Racing Nation.

Originally trained by Joe Sharp, Art Collector was trained by Tommy Drury for his Blue Grass win. He was moved to trainer Mott’s barn in 2021.

“This was sudden and a tough experience for me and my wife,” owner-breeder Bruce Lunsford told Thoroughbred Daily News. “I can summarize this pretty easily. He gave me my highest highs in this business and now my lowest low. That’s as simple as I can put it. He will be in my brain and my thoughts for the rest of my life. He was very special. The biggest win of my life was in the Pegasus down in Miami, so this was a really big loss. And he was going to be a great sire.”

Out of the Distorted Humor mare Distorted Legacy, Art Collector missed the 2020 Kentucky Derby because of a foot injury. Because of COVID, that race was run in September instead of its traditional May date. The Blue Grass was run on July 11, 2020, instead of its traditional April date.

Swiss Skydiver, the filly who finished second to Art Collector in the Blue Grass, went on to win the Preakness on Oct. 3, 2020, for trainer Kenny McPeek.

Art Collector ran eighth in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland. After being moved to Mott, he won the Alydar, Charles Town and Woodward in 2021 before finishing sixth in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic. He developed into one of the leading older horses, highlighted by his 4 1/2-length win in the Pegasus on Jan. 28 of this year at Gulfstream Park.

In his last two outings, Art Collector ran second to West Will Power in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic on March 25 and second to Smile Happy in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 5.

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