Justify half-brother The Lieutenant among four stallions killed in Peru attack

The Lieutenant, a Grade 3-winning half-brother to Triple Crown hero Justify, is among four stallions to have been killed in a gruesome raid on Haras Barlovento in Peru.

The stud, one of the most important in the country, announced the grim news on Instagram on Sunday, saying that guards were overcome but not at first giving precise details or perceived motivations for the crime.

However, it later posted another message on the social media channel saying that the horses had been attacked with axes in order for the meat to be sold, while medicines and a generator had also been stolen in the incident.

The stud thanked those who had been in contact for their condolences and concluded by saying "our only wish is for the perpetrators to feel the full weight of the law".

Besides The Lieutenant, a six-year-old son of Street Sense who shuttled from Sequel Stallions in New York, the other three stallions to have died are:

• Cyrus Alexander, a Grade 3-winning Medaglia D'Oro half-brother to Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver bred by WinStar Farm and sold to Spendthrift Farm and Stonestreet for $1.7 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2013.
  
  
• Timely Advice, a son of A.P. Indy and ten-length Frizette Stakes winner Confessional who has supplied South American Classic winners. He was 14.
  
  
• Kung Fu Mambo, an Argentinean-bred son of Giant's Causeway who won the Peruvian Derby by a wide margin in 2012. He died aged ten.

Tanya Gunther, who bred The Lieutenant with father John at their Glennwood Farm, wrote on Twitter: “One of the very special things about horses is our bond with them, we teach them to trust us.

“Such a horrible act, such a betrayal, I cannot believe this sad news, it is too much. RIP The Lieutenant, Cyrus Alexander, Timely Advice and Kung Fu Mambo.”

South American bloodstock news outlet Turf Diario reported that a police investigation into the attack is under way.

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