MyRacehorse partnered with Solis/Litt Bloodstock on Annahilate when he was a highly regarded colt by freshman sire Fast Anna in 2019. He began his race training with John Sadler in 2020 and was showing promising improvements with each workout when unfortunate circumstances arose. 

The MyRacehorse team got a call that the Sadler team noticed Annahilate was off on one of his hind legs, which subsequently led to the discovery of a fracture in one of his hind sesamoids. 

The sesamoid is what anchors the suspensory, allowing a horse’s foot and fetlock to move properly. Yet the location and composition of the sesamoid makes it vulnerable to injuries, and these injuries in horses can be difficult to repair. 

The good news was that the injury was not life threatening; the bad news was that due the nature of the injury, it was career ending.

On a very difficult day for all of Annahilate’s connections, as we were so close to seeing what appeared to be a very promising horse debut, it was clear what was needed to be done in the best interest of the horse. Retiring Annahilate in this situation was not negotiable. 

MyRacehorse worked with our partners to find Annahilate a good home for the rest of his life and thus he was submitted and subsequently accepted into New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program in Lexington, KY.

While New Vocations was not his forever home, it was a vital step in finding his forever home, as the largest racehorse adoption program in the country serving more than 500 horses a year. 

Founded in 1992 their mission to rehabilitate, retrain and rehome retired racehorses has led to the placement of over 7,000 individuals. They have eight facilities in Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, New Vocations serves over 40 racetracks, working directly with owners and trainers in need of equine aftercare options. 

Shortly after Annahilate arrived, the New Vocations team had him evaluated by one of their program veterinarians and MyRacehorse resident veterinarian, Dr. Jeffrey Berk, and he was quite happy with the healing he saw of the sesamoid fracture. Dr. Berk encouraged New Vocations to graduate Annahilate from round pen turnout to a small paddock turnout for approximately 60 days, and then re-check his progress the following May. 

It didn’t take long after this for “Nigel,” as he was named around the barn, to meet his new owner and get adopted. He has been retraining in dressage and enjoys hitting the trails at his new home. His new owner Tara told MyRacehorse, “He’s treated like a king and wants for nothing.” 

We are incredibly thankful for New Vocations finding the perfect home for our retired racehorse and couldn’t be more excited to follow his happy ending.