Con Lima (Commissioner), the multiple-graded stakes winning mare last seen winning the GIII Saratoga Oaks last August, suffered an injury in her stall at WinStar Farm in Lexington, Kentucky Wednesday night and was euthanized, according to a Tweet from her owners, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
Eclipse's Aron Wellman said that the 4-year-old filly was at WinStar preparing for a return to racing and to her trainer Todd Pletcher.
“We're devastated to report Con Lima suffered a catastrophic injury in her stall last night and had to be euthanized,” the Tweet read. “Con Lima epitomized all that was good about thoroughbred racehorses and our heart goes out to her, our partners, her breeders and all who cared for this grand gal.”
Wellman called her “one of a kind.”
In an impressive run in 2021, Con Lima reeled off wins in the Honey Ryder S., Ginger Brew S., GIII Herecomesthebride S., GIII Wonder Again S., and the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S., her last start. All of her black-type wins were on the turf. She was second in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational.
Con Lima was a $15,000 Keeneland November weanling who failed to meet her reserve at the 2019 September sale and again at 2020 OBS March.
But she showed she was special right from the start, winning by over five lengths in her second start on the dirt at Gulfstream at two. Switched to the turf after her fourth start, she went on to make eight starts on the grass, winning six of them, five of them in black-type events.
“She really captured people's hearts because of where she came from and what she was able to accomplish,” said Wellman. “I'm not sure we've seen many who were able to produce a campaign like she did from age 2 to 3. She was a real throwback, an iron filly who did it at the highest level in the real world.”
We're devastated to report Con Lima suffered a catastrophic injury in her stall last night and had to be euthanized. Con Lima epitomized all that was good about thoroughbred racehorses and our heart goes out to her, our partners, her breeders and all who cared for this grand gal. pic.twitter.com/GUPeAv64jh
— Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (@EclipseTBP) March 10, 2022
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