Patches O’Houlihan, Canada’s reigning horse of the year, euthanized

TORONTO AP Patches O Houlihan Canada s reigning horse of the year was euthanized Thursday Patches O Houlihan ridden by Sofia Vives held off My Boy Prince to win the Grade Highlander by a neck at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday Patches O Houlihan was pulled up after the race and left the track in a van for further examination Veterinarians determined the horse had suffered a soft tissue injury In a declaration issued by Woodbine owner breeder Frank Di Guilio disclosed Patches O Houlihan s condition worsened We consulted with veterinarians and surgeons on an ongoing basis and it was determined surgery was not a viable option for a sustained quality of life Di Guilio stated We are going to dearly miss watching him run as will his a great number of fans Patches O Houlihan was an amazing animal that was beautiful both inside and out He absolutely loved to race and possessed outstanding heart and desire and was as honest as they come We are deeply saddened by the loss of Patches but we are truly lucky and grateful to be part of such a true champion The -year-old Ontario-bred horse posted a record of wins and one second in starts AP horse racing https apnews com hub horse-racing Source