Racing great John Henry dies in Ky.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Thoroughbred great John Henry, two-time Horse of the Year who earned more than $6.5 million before retiring to the Kentucky Horse Park, was euthanized yesterday. He was 32.

Park spokeswoman Lisa Jackson said the Hall of Famer's health had declined over the weekend. He had lost considerable body mass and was in kidney failure, she said.

"The next step would have been so hard on him," she said. "It wouldn't have been comfortable...It just wouldn't have been fair to the horse."

He was retired 22 years ago to the park, where he was beloved by the public and, along with stablemate Cigar, one of the park's biggest attractions.

Foaled March 9, 1975, and an average runner early in his career, John Henry was the highest money-earning thoroughbred in history when he retired in 1985.

The gelded son of Old Bob Bowers out of Once Double won four Grade I races and Horse of the Year honors at age 6 and 9 and collected seven Eclipse awards from 1980 through 1984.

To the end, John Henry remained cantankerous, said Cathy Robey, who runs the park's Hall of Champions, where the horse was stabled.

"What can I say about the legendary John Henry that has not already been said," Chris McCarron, who rode John Henry in 14 of his last races, said in a statement from the park. "John meant the world to my family and me. Everywhere he raced, his presence doubled the size of a normal race track crowd."

In his career, John Henry earned 39 victories, 15 seconds and nine thirds in 83 starts and earned $6,597,947. He was inducted into thoroughbred racing's Hall of Fame in 1990. *