Geronimo. Geronimo was bred in Chile and he was already a stakes winning racehorse when he made his entrance on the California racing scene as a four-year-old in 2003.
Geronimo quickly became the golden boy of the California turf, a flaxen-maned comet that held his own against the likes of Singletary, Inesperado, and Lennyfromalibu. In addition to the Green Flash Handicap Geronimo won the Gr.3 Morvich Hcp and placed in two consecutive runnings of the Gr.3 Hollywood Turf Express. His total record, after his racing career in Chile, was 42 starts, 11 wins, and earnings of $463,750.
Geronimo’s brilliant career came to a sudden end in a claiming race at Del Mar on July19, 2006, when he suffered a catastrophic fracture. And here his story grows dark, and we see a blindness of the soul that is sickeningly familiar to all who follow the fortunes of good racehorses. After a gallant career and winning nearly half a million dollars Geronimo was simply cast aside, and it was only by chance that a friend connected him with Tranquility Farm. How many horses of Geronimo’s caliber will we have to see ending up as a discarded ward of charity or worse until racing collectively says “Enough!”
I wish I knew. Geronimo’s care at Tranquility Farm has depended entirely upon the kindness of strangers. He has done his part. After a year of rehabilitation in which he remained ever cheerful and kind, he was moved into a private retirement paddock where he happily watches the world go by. If you would like to become one of his benefactors, please Donate. Geronimo and all the horses thank you!
