Yankee Leader Euthanized

On Tuesday, December 21, a former World Champion left us. Artsplace stallion Yankee Leader was put down at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown

, P.E.I.

He had been sent to the Charlottetown Driving Park and trainer Kenny Arsenault just two days earlier, from the care of Fred Saunders at Truro Raceway. When Truro shut down for the winter, owner and former NHLer Hilliard Graves planned to race the horse at Charlottetown. The horse would stay there for the month of January in preparation for a winter campaign in Ontario with trainer Joey Shea.

But on the morning of Dec. 21, Yankee Leader was noticed to be in discomfort by Arsenault and was taken to the Atlantic Veterinary College. It was determined the horse had a twisted bowel and Arsenault called Graves, who was in Florida, who began consultation with the veterinarians. It was decided to euthanize the horse that evening.

Arsenault was shocked with losing the horse that had been in his care numerous times before, and whose offspring he had raced.

"It was very, very sudden," Arsenault says. "The worst of it was that he was fine on Monday."

Bred by Yankeeland Farms of Maryland and out of two time Breeders Crown finalist Lovin Yankee by On The Road Again, Yankee Leader was a $195,000 yearling purchase at the 1999 Kentucky Standardbred sale. The second foal from the mare, his later siblings would be 2004 Woodrow Wilson runner-up Up Front Charlie, New Jersey Sires Stakes final winner Yankee Landa, and 1:49 pacer Yankee Lance.

Yankee Leader started his career under the care of Bob McIntosh before being purchased by Graves as a four-year-old in 2002. He would go on to win the 2003 Exhibition Cup at Truro Raceway, the 2004 James Roach MacGregor Gold Cup and Saucer consolation, and Open class events at Rideau Carleton, Western Fair and Pompano Park.

In the Maritimes he was mainly driven by Graves, but when away in Ontario or Quebec, Mike MacDonald was the regular pilot.

He notched himself a place in harness racing's history books on June 10, 2006 at Pompano Park in Florida, while under the care of Dan Hennessey. With Wally Hennessey in the bike, the free-legged stallion scored a 1:51.1 victory, which was then a world record for a free-legged horse on a five-eighths mile track.

He returned to stud duty in 2007, then was trained back this past year. His last victory was a 1:57.3 score over Truro Raceway on Dec. 5, 2010, with Graves at the lines.

As a sire, he produced 28 winners, including Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Bo Butler (p,2,1:58.4, $58,762), Island Idol (p,3,1:58, $51,550) and MD Caseys Charm (p,5,1:56.3, $34,665).

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Yankee Leader.

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Nicholas Oakes)