Influential veterinarian Harthill dies

Influential veterinarian

Harthill dies

Veterinarian Alex Harthill, who was known world-wide for his handling of

Kentucky Derby (G1) winners, died Saturday morning in Louisville, Kentucky. He

was 80.

"He should be remembered as one of the greatest veterinarians of all time,"

trainer William Fires told Louisville's The Courier-Journal. "I think most

people around the racetrack will remember him as a person who has helped

everybody on the track. When other people would give up on a horse, he would

continue on."

The first Kentucky Derby winner attended to by Harthill was Citation, who

went on to capture the 1948 Triple Crown, and the legendary horseman also

supervised the care of 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed as well as noted

Kentucky Derby winners Spectacular Bid, Sunday Silence and Swaps. He was part of

the team that tried unsuccessfully to save the tremendous filly Ruffian after

she broke down in a 1975 match race, and Harthill was also associated with

Kelso, Round Table and Nashua.

He wasn't without controversy. Harthill was the veterinarian for Dancer's

Image, who was disqualified from the 1968 Kentucky Derby after testing positive

for phenalbutazone (bute), and he had his critics in the media. However, the

veterinarian was always well respected by his colleagues.

"He was probably the most revolutionary equine practitioner that there has

been," said Gary Priest, Harthill's partner in a Versailles, Kentucky,

equine surgical clinic for 20 years. "I can't think of anybody who has done more

to advance equine medicine and surgery than he has. So many of the techniques

and stuff we do routinely, he came up with the idea."

Harthill is survived by two daughters, Alexis Borden of Louisville and Meha

Harthill of Irvine, California.