We are impatiently awaiting the arrival of Lights of Broadway. He is supposed to start his journey back to Texas this afternoon when his current owner Gregg Sanders will transport him from his 30 horse stable in Henryetta, Oklahoma to Remington Park in Oklahoma City. Lights will then rest there until Saturday when he will be brought to our farm in Burleson, Texas by Angelo Trosclair, owner of Thoroughbred Transport.
The story of Lights On Broadway is an incredible one. This horse has been through so much and we have so many people to thank for helping in this nationwide effort to get him home to Texas.
Lights On Broadway is a 11 year old Texas bred gelding who until last month was still racing. He has 83 lifetime starts with 15 wins, 13 seconds and 14 thirds and earning of over half a million dollars, most which came in allowance and stakes company until recently when he dropped to the bottom claiming level.
About 3 months ago owner/trainer Gregg Sanders was approached by a killer horse buyer with a gooseneck trailer with approximately 40 horses crammed in it. The man told Gregg he needed to show something to him. He pulled a old worn set of papers off his dash and Gregg was blown away when he saw the horses name on the papers. Lights On Broadway was remembered as being horse of the year. How in the world did he end up here?
Gregg asked to see him and the horse trader showed him a big chestnut gelding 3 from the back of the overfilled trailer. Thin and lame, Lights On Broadway was led off the trailer and purchased by Gregg. The trader told him he would be glad to come back and get him if he didn't work out. Gregg and his family wouldn't let that happen.
At the same time this was going on Lights On Broadway had been placed on a watch list by a group that calls themselves the Fans of Barbaro on the Alex Brown Racing Site. These compassionate folks keep a watch list for thoroughbred racehorses in need of retirement and try to relocate them to new homes off the racetrack through donations from horse lovers.
They contacted Gregg when they saw him show up on the list. Gregg was happy to help in the efforts to get Lights back to Texas.
We can not wait to have him home and give him some well deserved time off. He will be turned out with a couple of other geldings in a big paddock with a nice size pond. When he is ready we will start retraining him for a new life. Whether it be a racetrack pony, a dressage horse or just a plain ol' trail buddy for someone he will be loved and cherished by all the wonderful people that worked so hard to make this happen.
I will be posting lots of pictures as soon as he arrives. Thanks so much to everyone, Lights On Broadway will be a living testimony to show that exracers are worth giving a second chance to. Shame on the folks who almost doomed the future of this outstanding athlete and all the thanks and appreciation in the world to Gregg Sanders and his family for saving his life.
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Donna - you are so awesome to give Lights on Broadway a new home and new life! If there were an Olympic medal for Compassionate Horsemen and Horsewomen, you'd get the gold!
As a "contribution", I would certainly like to donate a bag of feed for his upkeep.
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