Hot 2-year-old prospect J C's Pride euthanized after illness

Barbara D. Livingston

J C's Pride set a Saratoga track record winning a maiden race this past summer.

 OZONE PARK, N.Y. -  J C’s Pride, the 2-year-old colt who set the track record for five furlongs at Saratoga this past summer, was euthanized earlier this week due to complications from an infection, trainer Robert Barbara said Friday.

 According to Barbara, J C’s Pride had developed a salivary gland infection a couple of weeks ago, which prompted him being sent to the Mid Atlantic Equine Medical Center in Ringoes, N.J. Barbara said the infection spread and “something got to his kidney.’’ The horse was euthanized at Mid Atlantic earlier this week.

 “A big blow,’’ Barbara said Friday.

 J C’s Pride was a 2-year-old son of Henny Hughes who was purchased at the Fasig-Tipton 2-year-old-in-training auction at Timonium, Md., in May for $200,000 by Joseph Bucci. After finishing second to Overdriven in  the debut for both colts  at Belmont Park on July 1, J C’s Pride won a maiden race by 3 1/4 lengths at Saratoga on July 27.  J C’s Pride ran five furlongs in 56.54 seconds, eclipsing the previous track record of 56.71 set by Fabulous Force in 1993.

 J C’s Pride was sent off the second choice at 2-1 in the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 5, but was bearing out from the outset and was pulled up at the three-eighths pole by jockey Alan Garcia. The colt was later diagnosed with an ankle injury.

 “He was as nice a horse as you’d want and as smart a horse as you’d want to go forward with,’’ Barbara said. “He had all the tools. He could have been a flash in the pan or he could’ve been a very nice horse.’’