July 12 - On Sunday last week the American horseracing industry was saddened by the news that 2009 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner, Big City Man, died in California as a result of a strangulated cecum. Despite undergoing emergency surgery, the talented four-year-old colt could not be saved.

According to reports, just hours after Big City Man completed a routine work at Hollywood Park, he became distressed.' We treated him for colic after the work, but he did not respond,' said the colt's trainer, Jeff Mullins. 'We sent him to a clinic where they opened him up and discovered the strangulated cecum. Unfortunately there wasn't anything they could do for him.'

Big City Man's last race was the Dubai Golden Shaheen in March, and his recent works were designed to get back into racing condition. 'He was a really good horse to be around, and although he could be tough at times, he loved his job. Even on that Sunday, he went out and took care of his business,' said Mullins.

Located between the small and large intestines, the cecum is a fermentation pouch that horses cannot live without, so after Big City Man's became constricted and could not be repaired, he was fighting a losing battle. Ironically, in his last work on Sunday, he recorded a not-too-shabby time of 1:13.40 over 6 furlongs.

Out of champion Valid Appeal mare, Mini Appeal, Big City Man was bred by Four Horsemen's Ranch in Florida. During his career, the colt notched up six wins and two second places from eight starts, accruing $1,521,505 in earnings. He was acquired by Prince Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud al Kabeer and transferred to trainer Jerry Barton in time for the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival.

Said Barton following the colt's death, 'It was a really tough pill to swallow as Big City Man has done so much for us. We've got such fond memories of him. He did more for me than any other horse I've ever had. I had sent him to Jeff Mullins because Prince Sultan wanted to take a shot at getting him to the Breeders' Cup.'

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2011/12/09 12:49:09 AM