Son of Dominus - 2024 Indiana Horse Of The Year Demolisher Succumbs To Laminitis

DOMINUS

Resia and Kenneth E.Ayres’s Indiana-bred homebred Demolisher has been euthanized after a battle with laminitis, reports Blood-Horse. The Ayres’ have been involved in state breeding programs for decades and had positive experiences early on. They captured Ohio’s 2-year-old championship in 1989 with an accredited-bred named Hard Ten. That Albert Palacios trainee went on to win 10 races (three juvenile stakes) and $179.697.

Ayers opted to breed to the multiple Ohio Champion Stallion Dominus, but to have the foal dropped and registered across state lines. Dominus stands at HMDC partner Duncan Farms. The 4-year-old received the 2024 Indiana Breed Development Horse of the Year and the Indiana-bred 3-Year-Old Male awards after going five-for-six in 2024. "We went from the highest highs as Indiana Horse of the Year to the lowest low ever when we had to say goodbye," Resia Ayres told Blood-Horse.

The son of Dominus began his career with an 8 3⁄4-length victory in a maiden special weight at Horseshoe Indianapolis in June of 2024. The dark bay or brown gelding went on to win his next four starts at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He made his stakes debut in July, taking the one-mile and 70 yards Governor’s Handicap for Indiana-bred 3-year-olds by a length. In his next start, he met older

Indiana-breds for the first time in the Bucchero Handicap going 1 1/16 miles on turf. He stalked the pace and posted a 1 1⁄4-length minor upset. In October, Demolisher moved back to dirt for the 1 1/16-mile Too Much Coffee Handicap. The gelding went gate-to- wire for a four-length score. His final start came at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Bryan Station Stakes over a turf mile. He finished eighth, beaten six lengths. The gelding did not start in 2025.

He is out of the Magna Graduate mare Maggie Sue who has been very productive as a broodmare. While remaining uncommitted for the 2026 breeding season, the Ayers are strongly considering a return to Dominus at Duncan Farms in Ohio and a potential return to the Ohio program. It would be nice to see them roll another Hard Ten in Ohio.

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