Safely Kept, Hall of Fame sprinter, euthanized

Safely Kept, a Hall of Fame filly who was voted champion sprinter in 1989 and

captured a memorable renewal of the Breeders' Cup Sprint the following year, has

died at the age of 28.

The Blood-Horse reported Tuesday that the Horatius mare was euthanized

due to the infirmities of old age at Burleson Farms near Midway, Kentucky.

Compiling an impeccable record of 31-24-2-3, Safely Kept is generally

considered one of the leading female sprinters of all time. Of her 23 career

stakes wins, 11 were in graded company. She also tended to carry her track with

her, notching added-money scores at Pimlico, Laurel, Garden State Park, Belmont

Park, Monmouth Park, Saratoga, Keeneland, Finger Lakes, Meadowlands, and

Arlington Park.

As a three-year-old, Safely Kept entered the 1989 Breeders' Cup Sprint at

Gulfstream undefeated from eight starts on the year. Despite being caught near

the wire by Dancing Spree, whose biggest previous win that year occurred in the

1 1/4-mile Suburban Handicap, her second-place finish against the rest of the

division's elite was enough to garner Eclipse Award honors as champion sprinter.

Safely Kept was back in the Breeders' Sprint at Belmont Park in 1990 having

won seven of her nine starts that season. However, after a modest showing in her

final prep, Belmont's Boojum Handicap, she was dismissed in the wagering at

12-1.

In a stretch-long duel with European superstar Dayjur, Safely Kept appeared

to be headed for another narrow defeat until her male rival jumped two shadows

created by the mammoth Belmont Park grandstand. Dayjur's unexpected acrobatics

allowed Safely Kept to regain the lead and win by a neck.

The Breeders' Cup was the second stakes win Safely Kept achieved against

males in six career attempts. She also defeated the boys in the 1990 Finger

Lakes Breeders' Cup by 2 1/4 lengths.

Retired with earnings of $2,194,206, Safely Kept went on to produced the

Grade 3-placed stakes winner Contrast and the Grade 2-placed stakes winner Peace

Chant. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Safely Kept was trained at two by Carlos Garcia and thereafter by Alan

Goldberg. Initially owned by Dark Hollow Farm, she was later campaigned by Barry

Weisbord and Richard Santulli's Jayeff B Stable.

Bred in Maryland by Mr. and Mrs. David Hayden, Safely Kept was a daughter of

the Winning Hit mare Safely Home, who also produced Grade 2 winner Partner's

Hero.