Red Shores Raceway's fastest horse put down

The horse that holds the fastest record at Red Shores Raceway had to be put down at a track in Ontario, Friday.

Part Shark won the 2010 Gold Cup and Saucer in 1 minute 51 seconds – a pace that's still unbeaten at the harness racing venue in Charlottetown.

Just before heading to the gate for a race Friday night at Western Fair Raceway in London, Part Shark shattered the bone between his ankle and his hoof.

Wayne Preszcator, of Exeter, Ontario, was the horse's trainer for the last three years and said putting down the horse was a tough decision.

"Oh, it's about the saddest thing you can have happen, actually. You got only a couple of minutes to think about it and you have to do the right thing for the horse so he isn't going to be in pain for the rest of his life," Preszcator said.

"It was like losing one of your family, almost. It's going to be hard to replace him."

Preszcator said Part Shark finished top three in 75 per cent of the 100 races he had competed in.

He said there was no warning this would happen. Preszcator said X-rays taken a few weeks ago showed no sign of fractures.

The trainer suspects the six-year-old horse must have taken a bad step and put too much weight on his leg.