Remembering Kip Deville

Orginally, I had planned to do lots of stakes previews today. However, some sad news came across the wire today. In 2007, Kip Deville put his owners IEAH on the map when he won the Breeders' Cup Mile upseting Excellent Art and Nobiz Like Shobiz. The latter being a former stablemate to his arch rival Showing Up. Kip lost his brave battle with laminatis today which he devoloped after colicing last year.

As you might expect, I was crushed to hear this. I first heard of Kip in 2006 when Showing Up ran down at Colonial. It was his first try on turf and he won, but I was impressed by the runner up that day. It happend to be Kip Deville. Kip and Showing Up would go onto face each other a few more times over the 2006 season. While Showing Up always won, the final meeting Kip had the last laugh. That was at Keenland when the both of them now G1 winners. In what would be the final start for Showing Up, Kip was able to win by a neck.

That November, Kip won the BC Mile becoming only the second OK bred to win a BC race (Lady's Secret was the first with the Distaff, on her way to being Horse of the Year) and finished second in 2008 behind the wonderful Goldikova. His final win was last Febuary in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. In that race he defeated future G1 winner Court Vision and Arlington Million runner up Just as Well. Soon afterwards, he hit a bad slide and then the word came of his colic and subquent laminatis.

Kip will be honored in October with a stakes race at Remington Park in his native Oklahoma. Here is his 2007 Mile win:



RIP Kip :(

I appoloigze for not having a Weekend Preview this week like I promised, but I felt that this was more important to me for today. There is a great weekend of racing with Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, Blame, General Quarters (who I think could be the next Kip), as well as the Woodbine Oaks. I will have a weekend recap though, so stay tuned for that on Monday!