Racehorse named after Dr Fauci finishes No.2
New York, June 4: A racehorse named for Dr Anthony Fauci reached the finish line at a safe enough distance from others that would have made his namesake proud.
Fauci the two-year-old colt finished a distant second to a horse named Prisoner and was well ahead of third-place Indoctrinate in his muchanticipated debut Wednesday at Belmont Park. In a sport known for topical names, Fauci is the first of a series of horses inspired by the Coronavirus pandemic and the latest tribute to the respected director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in USA.
Social Distancing, Self Isolation, Flatten the Curve, Herd Immunity and No Spectators are horses that have also been registered with the Jockey Club.
Co-owner Phillip Antonacci picked the name Fauci in mid-March after the 79-year-old started doing daily Coronavirus briefings from the White House. The Antonacci family, like Fauci, is ItalianAmerican and from Brooklyn.
“We wanted to honour the service that he’s given to the whole world: beside Covid, fighting all the other infections his whole life,’’ Antonacci said.
Fauci’s debut coincided with the first live horse racing in New York since March and amid protests nationwide following death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Jockeys stood for a moment of silence to pay respects for those who died of Covid-19 and in tribute to medical professionals, then took a knee in the paddock prior to the first race as a show of solidarity with protesters in the wake of Floyd’s death.