Hill 'n' Dale sues Rood & Riddle after Super Saver sibling's death
John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings has filed suit in Kentucky's Fayette Circuit Court against Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for malpractice for the death of a foal on March 9, 2017, BloodHorse's Lenny Shulman reports, with the two racing industry giants potentially meeting for trial beginning July 23.
The foal, by Hill ‘n’ Dale stallion Curlin and out of multiple graded stakes-producing mare Supercharger, was a half-sibling to 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver valued in excess of $2 million, according to BloodHorse. Given the difficult birth of a foal and its subsequent death a year earlier, Supercharger went to Rood & Riddle a week before her expected date to begin extra care.
The complaint says Dr. Bonnie Barr and Dr. Brett Woodie determined the 2017 foal was not positioned correctly when Supercharger went into labor. After the foal was born, Barr noticed an indentation on the foal’s left rib cage, but could not detect it after repeated palpations.
The foal was moved to intensive care and died around 7:30 a.m. the next morning, about an hour and a half after showing signs of discomfort. The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory performed a necropsy and found the foal had six fractured ribs on its left side and acute internal bleeding.
Hill ‘n’ Dale’s suit states Rood & Riddle should have performed an ultrasound after initially finding the indentation, that overnight technicians should have notified Dr. Barr when the foal’s heart and respiration rates rose, and that vitals should have been checked more often than every four hours. It also claims the foal was diagnosed with colic, even though hospital records showed regular defecation through the night.
Casey, Bailey & Maines’ Mike Casey is representing Rood & Riddle. Casey told BloodHorse the equine hospital “complied fully with the standard of care” and expects them to be exonerated.
Sikura told BloodHorse Hill ‘n’ Dale does not believe the standard of care the farm expected was met.