Cashier's Dream euthanized

ELMONT, N.Y. - Cashier's Dream, the Grade 1-winning 3-year-old filly who had nearly 10 feet of her small intestine removed last week, died Monday night in Lexington, Ky., because of an abdominal infection known as peritonitis.

On June 25, Cashier's Dream worked five furlongs at Churchill Downs in preparation for this Saturday's Grade 1 Prioress Stakes at Belmont. Shortly after the workout, Cashier's Dream showed signs of colic and was vanned to the Hagyard Davidson McGee equine clinic in Lexington. She underwent a 30-minute surgical procedure in which Dr. Michael Spirito removed about 10 feet of her small intestine.

Cashier's Dream showed signs of improvement late last week, but on Monday she had adhesions, tags of fibrous tissue that make pieces of the bowel stick together and restrict fecal flow. When Dr. Robert Hunt went in to operate Monday night, he noticed that the two sections of bowel that were repaired last week had become necrotic and began to leak, leading to infection. "The degree of peritonitis was too severe," said Dr. Doug Byars, who supervised Cashier's Dream's care. "Dr. Hunt said she would not be expected to survive the second surgery."

Cashier's Dream was euthanized on the operating table.

Cashier's Dream was a Michigan-bred daughter of Service Stripe. She was bred and originally owned by James and Laura Jackson and won her first two career starts for them last spring. After her second start, Cashier's Dream was purchased by Team Valor Racing and Heiligbrodt Racing and turned over to trainer Steve Asmussen.

For her new connections, Cashier's Dream won 3 of 5 starts, including the Grade 1 Spinaway. In winning the Grade 3 Debutante last July, Cashier's Dream set the Churchill Downs track record for 5 1/2 furlongs at 1:02.52.

For her career, Cashier's Dream earned $423,042.

"She was the fastest horse I've ever been around," Asmussen said. "There is no accurate way to describe how good a mare she was. Who knows what made her special? If I knew everything that made her special, it'd be easy to find another one."