Tragedy as multiple graded-stakes winner is one of two stallions killed alongside British G3 winner Sanus Per Aquam in horrific incident at India’s oldest stud farm
USA: Prominent owner-breeder Stuart Janney III has paid tribute to multiple graded-stakes winner Air Support following his death in horrific circumstances at India’s oldest stud farm.The 15-year-old stallion was one of two horses who suffered fatal injuries when they were attacked by a swarm of bees while grazing at the Kunigal Stud Farm in Tumakuru, Karnataka, in the south-western region of India.
The other victim was Sanus Per Aquam, a ten-year-old who in 2015 won the G3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket in England for Irish trainer Jim Bolger, who also bred him.
Air Support, trained by Shug McGaughey, won five of his 21 starts and nearly $1 million in earnings. Racing almost exclusively on turf, his two biggest victories came in the 2011 Virginia Derby and 2012 Bowling Green Stakes. The son of Smart Strike was exported to India in 2013.
Jockey Club chairman Janney said: “Air Support was a very good horse beginning in his two-year-old year. He won the Pilgrim Stakes and then was one of the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. I remember the turf as slippery that day and that didn't suit him.
“In his three-year-old year he was competitive at the highest level and won the Virginia Derby. He was a very attractive-looking horse who gave his best throughout his racing career. I am very sorry to hear of his tragic passing.”
According to witnesses, Air Support and Sanus Per Aquam were panicked by the noise of the swarm of bees overhead. They were then attacked by thousands of bees and despite the best efforts of local vets, they could not be saved.
Zeyn Mirza is managing director of United Racing & Bloodstock Breeders Limited, which runs the stud farm. He spoke to the Times Of India about what had happened.
“By the time our security people saw them, they had already collapsed on the ground,” said Mirza. “The security immediately called the vets who arrived in ten minutes but since thousands of bees had attacked them, both had too much toxins in their bodies and couldn’t survive that. One of them died the same evening at 10pm and the other died on Friday morning.”
Air Support was reported to have produced 200 horses since going to stud, among them the 2020 Indian Derby winner War Hammer.
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