NEWS
Storm Marcopolo dies from complications from anesthesia
Posted: Thursday, May 29, 2008 5:42 PM
by Michael Burns
Storm Marcopolo, the 2007 Argentinean champion sprinter, died on May 16 at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute near Lexington after experiencing complications from the anesthesia used to perform an MRI on his right front foot.
Purchased last summer by Michael Paulson for a United States campaign, Storm Marcopolo ended his Argentinian career with a seven-race win streak, capped by a victory on the turf in the Gran Premio Carrreras de las Estrellas Sprint (Arg-G1) on June 30 at San Isidro.
The five-year-old Bernstein horse hit the board once in three North American starts, placing third in the Holiday Cheer Stakes at Turfway Park on December 29 for trainer Ken McPeek. The Holiday Cheer was his final career start.
Storm Marcopolo also won the Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Arg-G1), Irlanda (Arg-G3) and Estados Unidos de America (Arg-G3) at Palermo.
“Storm Marcopolo was having a small problem with his right front foot,” McPeek said. “Several vets were unable to figure out the problem. It seemed to be an abscess, a wall separation, or a blind quarter crack. He was sent to Hagyard [Equine Medical Institute in Lexington] for a simple exam.
“They were trying to MRI the foot. He was given an anesthetic for the MRI that caused the problem. I do not know the details other than the attending vet called me to say that the horse died from complications from the anesthesia. He had only been galloping at Keeneland prior to this happening. It is very sad. This was a special horse.”
Bred in Argentina by Haras La Biznaga, Storm Marcopolo won seven of 13 starts and earned $79,788.
Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
