Nitro Active, the great great grandson of Secretariat, was headed to a slaughterhouse just three months after his last race on December 16, 2011 at Hollywood Park Racetrack. After three wins and earning nearly $200,000 in his career, Nitro Active is no longer able to race.
He endured years of overuse on the track where he suffered leg fractures, required surgery on his front legs and he currently has severe degenerative arthritis according to a veterinary check-up. Like many Thoroughbreds, when he was no longer able to perform at high standards, he was found at an auction ready to go to a kill buyer.
Secretariat movie portrayal
Like many Thoroughbreds, when Nitro Active, offspring of Secretariat was no longer able to perform at high standards, he was found at an auction ready to go to a kill buyer.
The veterinary recommendation is that he should never be ridden again. At seven years old this is very difficult both emotionally and physically. The Thoroughbred horse is bred for speed and agility. A Thoroughbred horse that can no longer use these skills will always be at risk for neglect, abuse and ultimately slaughter. With special shoeing, therapy and time, he may have the opportunity to live a comfortable life.
This is not the Hollywood ending that his great great grandfather, Triple Crown winner Secretariat, lived and enjoyed. Nitro Active may still have a storybook ending, living out his days in peace at his new permanent home.
Villa Chardonnay Equine Sanctuary is the last hope for Nitro, one of the largest horse rescue and sanctuaries in Southern California specializing in abandoned, neglected and starving equines that are often not adoptable.
"Nitro Active is very sweet and friendly. It is so sad to see him lying down in his stall because of the pain in his legs. We are watching him closely and he will need ongoing veterinary care and medication. It is horrible and inhumane the treatment that he had to endure. We are thankful that he was saved from a deadly end at the slaughter," said Monika Kerber, CEO at Villa Chardonnay, Horses with Wings, Inc.
All donations go to care, treatment and food. All contributions are welcome and may be mailed to Villa Chardonnay, 42200 Calle Barbona, Temecula, CA 92592. Call 951-526-6600 with inquiries. Villa Chardonnay, a 501(c)3 non-profit, is a permanent home for forty-nine horses and nearly eighty animals.