Former Derby Museum Resident Au Moon Dies

Au Moon, the former resident equine at the Kentucky Derby Museum, was euthanized following surgery for a soft tissue injury he suffered in his first race after coming out of retirement.

"It was heartbreaking for everyone involved," trainer David Carroll said Sept. 3. "Dr. (Dean) Richardson (at University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center) operated on him and we gave him every opportunity. The surgery was delicate and the humane decision was to put him down. He is going to be badly missed. It is still very raw for us all."

The 9-year-old gelding owned by Tim Brown did not finish and was vanned off the track following an Aug. 8 race at Monmouth Park, his first start since September 2014, and underwent surgery Aug. 9. From April to June of this year, the Malibu Moon   gelding greeted visitors to the Derby Museum located at Churchill Downs.

Along with his museum appearances, Au Moon was taken to the track to be exercised, with Carroll deciding that he loved it so much he would put the gelding back in training. Despite his advanced age, Au Moon was fit and sound, Carroll said.

"Who's to say because they get to a certain age they shouldn't compete?" the trainer said. "When he was retired he was sound as a bell.

"He loved every minute of it. There was not one minute he didn't love training and not one minute he didn't love the people around him. There is some comfort in that. He was doing something he wanted to do."