Arlington’s
Prairie State Festival, a group of six races restricted to Thoroughbreds in the
Illinois program, takes center stage June 19
at the Chicago
oval, but unfortunately will be without the participation of Richard Rudolph
and Michael Vranich’s Stonehouse, one of the top Illinois-bred Thoroughbreds of
recent years.
Stonehouse finished fourth in Arlington’s Black Tie
Affair Handicap in 2008 and was third in the Springfield Stakes of 2007, but
died suddenly a fortnight ago without an immediate explanation. However,
trainer Spanky Broussard explained the cause of death this week.
“Between the large intestine
and the small intestine of a horse there is a little extra appendage that is
similar to the appendix in a human,” said Broussard. “What happened was
that somehow that section got twisted and wrapped around inside him. The
vet tried his best to save him but he was gone in an hour. I’ve never had
anything like that happen to any of my horses before.
“He was a good horse,” said
Broussard, who saddled his first winner at Arlington 40 years ago this month. “He
won the Grade III Mineshaft for me in New
Orleans last winter.”