Cameron Hall, winner of $1.8 million, euthanized at age 9

Cameron Hall, the winner of $1.8 million during her racing career, was euthanized at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky, early Wednesday morning due to a non-reversible condition involving her small intestine. Owned by Erkki Laakkonen, the daughter of Garland Lobell was 9 years old and was carrying a foal by Yankee Glide.

Cameron Hall had resided at Cane Run Farm in nearby Georgetown, Ky., before she was striken with symptoms of colic last Thursday and taken to the nearby Hagyard clinic, said Cane Run’s Elizabeth Caldwell. Initially veterinarians believed the mare had a tumor in her intestine, but Caldwell said the final diagnosis by Hagyard’s Dr. Nathan Slovis was that she was suffering from a condition involving segmental tunica muscular hypertrophy.

“Technically, she did not have a tumor, but it behaves like a cancer and (the condition) would basically destroy her intestine,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said Laakkonen and his family were contacted about the mare’s condition and indicated they did not want her to suffer. They also requested that she be cremated.

Earlier this year Cameron Hall gave birth to her third offspring. The filly is by the sire Yankee Glide, giving the mare three daughters by the sire. Caldwell said the young foal was taken with her mother to Hagyard, but is now at Cane Run where she is being weaned with a couple of other foals.

Cameron Hall was bred by Walnut Hall Ltd. and Claudean Cone and born at Walnut Hall Ltd. in Lexington. She is out of the broodmare Canne Angus, a full sister to the prolific Amour Angus, dam of Angus Hall, Andover Hall and Conway Hall.

Walnut Hall Ltd. campaigned Cameron Hall early in her 2-year-old season, with Laakkonen buying a half-interest in the filly just before her start in the Breeders Crown final. She also won the Goldsmith Maid final that year for trainer Bob Stewart. Just a few weeks later the filly was consigned to the Tattersalls December sale in 2001 to dissolve the partnership, and Laakkonen paid a record $1.1 million to retain her.

Stewart continued to train Cameron Hall during her 3-year-old season and she won the Elegantimage, Kentucky Filly Futurity, Breeders Crown and Matron, and finished second in the Hambletonian Oaks. She finished her racing career in 2004 with 19 wins in 44 starts.

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