Alydar Questions Are Denounced

Two veterinarians who operated on the leg fracture that led to Alydar’s death in 1990 denounced recent insinuations that the injury was anything but accidental.

“It is a ridiculous charge--the idea that someone might have broken this horse’s leg intentionally,” Dr. William Baker said, responding to a Nov. 16 Sports Illustrated article.

“Medically, it’s the wrong kind of fracture for a high energy blow such as from a crowbar, like was described in the Sports Illustrated article,” Dr. Larry Bramlage said.

Bramlage said the horse apparently kicked out the bottom of the stall door, got his foot caught and fell. He called the SI article “ridiculous speculation.”

Bramlage acknowledged that his expertise is medical, not financial. But he said Alydar was worth far more alive than dead to Calumet, and he said the farm went to considerable effort to try to save the horse.

The magazine raised questions that the injury was caused deliberately so Calumet Farm could collect $36.5 million from an insurance policy in an effort to help its desperate financial situation.