Fire At Will euthanized after winning Los Alamitos Winter Derby

CYPRESS, Calif. - Fire At Will won Saturday’s $215,250 Los Alamitos Winter Derby for 3-year-old Quarter Horses, but was pulled up with an injury 100 yards after the finish. Fire At Will was later euthanized, according to a statement released by the track.

Fire At Will ($29) finished a half-length in front of Jess Good Reason, the 5-2 favorite, in the 400-yard race. Senor Gianni finished third in a field of nine that lost one starter when Luv On the Run broke through the gate before the start and ran down the racetrack under jockey Jose Nicasio.

Fire At Will was pulled up quickly after the race with a knee injury. A gelding by Favorite Cartel, Fire At Will was taken to trainer Christopher O’Dell’s stable where the decision was made that he could not be saved.

Fire At Will won 5 of 11 starts and earned $166,727. Owned by Robert and Connie Rosenthal of Winchester, Calif., Fire At Will qualified for two futurities at Los Alamitos in 2015, finishing seventh in the Governor’s Cup Futurity last July, and fifth in the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Futurity last October.

O’Dell told Los Alamitos publicity that Fire At Will was considered the best horse the Rosenthals have owned.

Eduardo “Nicasio did the best thing he could. he stopped him and got off of him,” O’Dell said. “It’s very tough.”