European champion Soviet Song euthanized at 15

Soviet Song, a five-time Group 1 winner and Europe’s champion older horse of 2004, was euthanized Monday at Oak Lodge Stud in Paris, Ky. due to recurring foot problems, Racing Post reports.

Dan Downie, spokesman for owner/breeder Elite Racing Club said the 15-year-old Marju mare had long struggled with foot issues, and that her constant abscesses had become unmanageable and increasingly uncomfortable for the horse.

"I was in Kentucky for the Breeders' Cup and after a discussion with the stud's manager Suzy Fitzsimons, we both felt it wasn't fair to persevere with her,” Downie told Racing Post. “She was starting to lose weight and wasn't very comfortable, so it was for the best."

Soviet Song was an accomplished miler during her on-track career, winning nine of 24 starts for earnings of $2,059,097. Her victories included the Group 1 Sussex Stakes, Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile, and two editions Falmouth Stakes in England, along with the Group 2 Windsor Forest Stakes, and the Group 1 Matron Stakes and the Group 2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes in Ireland. James Fanshawe trained Soviet Song throughout her career.

Her 2004 campaign earned her Europe’s champion older horse title, highlighted by three of her Group 1 wins.

Soviet Song struggled as a broodmare, producing only two foals from seven matings. Her first was Soviet Dream, an Oasis Dream gelding, who went winless in two starts.

The mare was relocated to the U.S. in 2011, and produced a Speightstown filly in 2014. The soon-to-be 2-year-old was returned to Great Britain and will soon go in training for Elite Racing Club and Fanshawe.

"Unfortunately she's the only one we have out of Soviet Song, but thankfully she's a filly and she looks athletic and pretty strong,” Downie told Racing Post. “You'd like to think she could carry on the legacy and it will be interesting to see how she gets on next year."