Captain Condo Dies At New Track

Captain Condo, the Washington-bred career-earnings champion at the old Longacres racetrack, suffered an apparent heart attack and died while visiting Western Washington’s new track.

He was 14 years old.

Captain Condo died Saturday morning while galloping easily around the clubhouse turn at the new Emerald Downs. He had been brought out of retirement to be paraded for fans at the new track.

The gray gelding was buried in the north end of the infield on Saturday night.

During a career that lasted until he was 10, Captain Condo earned $511,695, $451,165 at Longacres. He won 30 of 70 starts and finished in the money on 23 other occasions.

Bred and owned by Vaden and Fern Ashby, he had been retired on their Yakima farm. The Ashbys launched the big roan gelding’s career at Playfair, where his dam, Candoe Mia, had been a star in the late 1970s.

Trainer Larry Ross ran horses against Captain Condo many times from 1986 to 1992 at the Renton oval. Ross and his wife, Sharon, lobbied for giving the old campaigner a burial at the track.

Track flags were flown at half staff.

, DataTimes