Unrequited ‘Mousse

"The Pamplemousse had more raw ability than any horse I ever trained. Not only was he fast, but he could carry his speed a long way. I really believed he had classic potential. It was a travesty that he never had a chance to prove it." ~Julio Canani, trainer of The Pamplemousse. I wondered and doubted if we would ever see this talent on the track again. When one of his owners told me last Winter that he was doing well and the plan was to get him back to the races at some point in 2010, I was cautiously optimistic. I waited, and I waited some more. Finally the good news came in, The Pamplemousse had his first workout on August 1. He worked three furlongs at Del Mar in :36 4/5. It would be the first of a dozen works, with the final one coming at Hollywood Park one week before Halloween. On that morning, The Pamplemousse zipped five furlongs in :59 3/5. I smiled when I saw the work.  Today the smile is gone. My Derby pick of 2009 will never race again. The Pamplemousse has been retired. In racing, you become anesthetized to horses retiring early and never having a full chance to reach their potential. The Pamplemousse was different though. He was more than the ordinary, he was special. His magnificent run in the Sham Stakes will be how I remember him. Powerful poetry in motion. Steely gray lightning in a bottle. Goodbye 'Mousse, we hardly knew you. Photos Courtesy of Benoit Photos & Cecilia G. Felix