'Beyond special' champion racehorse dies of injury sustained in hospital stay

20 February 2024 , 11:44

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Echo Zulu won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and earned more than £2million in prize money (Image: Getty)

One of the best female racehorses in the US has died while recovering from a major fracture in hospital.

Echo Zulu won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, one of nine victories from 11 starts and earned more than £2million in prize money. She was being trained for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup when she was injured during a workout at Santa Anita in California.

She sustained fractured sesamoids in October and had been under the care of the Chino Valley Equine Hospital for four months. Her trainer Steve Asmussen told that she had been euthanised on Sunday after suffering a leg injury when trying to get up after becoming cast in her box.

Asmussen said: “She was beyond special. My condolences to all who loved her.” The news broke 24 hours after one of the Australia ’s greatest mares, 2021 Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant died while foaling in Ireland.

“These cases can be heartbreakers,” said Ryan Carpenter, the vet in charge of Echo Zulu’s recovery. “It throws everyone in a tailspin.

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“We’re happy we gave her a chance and honoured her through the entire process. She had the absolute best care. We didn’t spare any expense with her.”

In a three-year career, Echo Zulu won four times at Grade 1 level, three of them during her debut season.

Echo Zulu was unbeaten in three starts in 2023. She won her final start in the Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga by two and a half lengths at seven furlongs last August.

Jon Lees