Owner: Someone tried to kill horse
By Brian Stanley bstanley@stmedianetwork.com November 21, 2011 8:28PM
Talented Magician. | Supplied photo
Updated: December 23, 2011 8:09AM
PEOTONE TOWNSHIP — An owner believes someone tried to kill his racehorse last week to keep it from running for a $100,000 purse next month.
Talented Magician, a 3-year-old gelded quarterhorse, was fine Thursday evening when owner Ruben Flores left him in a barn in the 32500 block of South Center Road.
But Friday morning, a jockey discovered a large lump on the left side of Talented Magician’s neck.
“Someone apparently attempted to inject an unknown substance into the horse’s cartoid artery (and) missed,” Will County Sheriff’s police said.
Talented Magician is scheduled to race for a stake at the Hialeah Race Track near Miami in December. Breeders Cup data shows he has one win in nine career starts, but has finished at least third in his last three races.
Talented Magician was examined by a veterinarian Friday and again Sunday.
“He seems okay, but we’ll find out this week from the blood draw what they put into him,” Flores said Monday.
If the intention wasn’t to harm the horse, Flores is concerned the substance could be steroids to disqualify him.
Police have no suspect information.
