KEY POINTS:
A New Zealand-bred racehorse that cheated death thanks to life-saving surgery has won one of the biggest races in America.
A year ago, Crossing the Line had a major operation in Palmerston North. Yesterday, the 5-year-old won the Del Mar Mile in California.
The win in the US$400,000
($571,600) event puts it in contention for the prestigious US$2 million Breeders Cup Mile - part of a two day, US$20 million, 11-race event - at Monmouth Park, New Jersey, in October.
The gelding completed the mile in 1m 32.59s, just one-fifth of a second off the track record. American Jockey Garrett Gomez told the National Thoroughbred Racing Association of Crossing the Line's late kick, which carried him from seventh to the front in the final quarter-mile.
"I could feel him building up underneath me. I knew he had a turn of foot. He really impressed me."
Crossing the Line was operated on for colic at Massey University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital in June last year. Equine veterinary surgeon Frederik Pauwels said had he not been treated quickly, he probably would have suffered a painful death.
Dr Pauwels said he was impressed that Crossing the Line started racing again exactly three months after the surgery, the minimum recovery time.
"Some horses would take a lot longer. If the owner hadn't decided to invest money in surgery, he definitely wouldn't be racing."
Colic, when a horse's bowels are twisted, is the biggest cause of equine death.
Crossing the Line's owners noticed him rolling on the ground, kicking and sweating the morning of the surgery so they took him to the local vet, who referred them to Dr Pauwels.
The $6000 surgery took three hours and Crossing the Line stayed in the clinic for five days for observation.
The Del Mar Mile was his third consecutive victory in the United States since arriving at trainer John Sadler's stable at Santa Anita, California, in February. His other two wins came at Hollywood Park.
Trained at Hamish Auret's stable in Wanganui, Crossing the Line's first start was in Taranaki last October, when he finished second.
He then won at Tauherenikau and at Otaki the following month.
Mr Auret is still a shareholder in the horse with Palmerston North breeder Mary Wilson.