You’re not supposed to develop attachments to racehorses in the same way as one develops an attachment to a baseball player or to some other athlete. But over time, I’ve developed rooting interests in various horses at various times. And it’s always for the weirdest reasons. During one season at the Saratoga flat track, I would always bet on a horse named Charismatic – only for the reason that the horse’s jockey wore peace-sign decorated silks. You know … weird reasons.
Mugshots Bro was one of those horses that I kept an eye on every time he raced at Saratoga’s harness track. He was born in 2012, and his parents were Jailhouse Jesse (USA) out of Photo Emmy. By 2017, he became one of the up-and-coming trotters at Saratoga Harness.
And he caught my attention while I was taking photos at the track.
I mean … you win at the track while I’m testing out my camera equipment, you become my “bet on every time” horse going forward.
And bet on him I did. And blog about him I did.
But Muggie’s years at Saratoga were limited. Not by injury or by losses, but because he was so speedy, he became a horse that other stables wanted. Eventually Mugshots Bro was purchased by another stable, and spent the next few years racing in Batavia and at Buffalo Downs, where he won a trotting championship.
Yesterday I heard the latest on Mugshots Bro.
And sadly … it wasn’t the kind of news anybody can truly prepare themselves to hear.
From what I was told, Mugshots Bro developed pneumonia, and went to Cornell University’s veterinary hospital for treatment. The doctors gave Mugshots Bro a tracheotomy to help him breathe – and it was at that moment the doctors discovered he had advanced lymphoma.
He passed away last month. Nuts.
I hate news like this. I hate that a creature who brought so much joy and fun to his owners and trainers and stablemates and bettors is now racing over the rainbow bridge at Oval Acres in Collarworld. I only hope that any time someone remembers Mugshots Bro, the trotter who could dominate a race like no other standardbred …
They remember him and they smile.
And that means he’s still winning.
Chuck The Writer 