Equine surgeon honored by Rutgers University Patty Hogan saved Smarty Jones' eye, helpedmany other horses BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer Last year, DavidMeirs II and S. Perrine Dey, two equine veterinarians from Upper Freehold, jointly received the Spirit of the Horse award fromthe Equine Science Center at RutgersUniversity. This year, another townshipbased equine veterinarian, Patricia "Patty"Hogan, received the same honor. Upper Freehold's Patty Hogan recently won the Spirit of the Horse award from the Equine Science Center at Rutgers University for her work as an equine surgeon. The Spirit of the Horse award recognizes individuals who have profoundly changed because of their involvement with horses and who have acknowledged the impact on their lives by giving back to horses or the horse industry. Johnson&Johnson's Sandy Denarski, chair of the Rutgers University Board for Equine Advancement, which is the Equine Science Center's advisory board, presented the award at the 51st annual New Jersey Department ofAgriculture's BreedersAwards Dinner.Hogan was unable to attend the function because of a family wedding. Denarski, who won the award in 2006, said Hogan never met a horse she didn't like and became a veterinarian for this very reason. If it hadn't been forHogan's passion and persistence, theHoratioAlger of horses, Smarty Jones, would never have had a career, nor would he have starred in his very own Cinderella story, according to Denarski. Smarty Joneswon both theKentuckyDerby and Preakness in 2004, and was narrowly defeated for his bid for the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes. "Dr.Hogan first saw Smarty Jones after he reared up in the starting gate at Philadelphia Park, smashing his skull against an iron bar and causing so much damage that his attending vet thought Smarty would have to lose an eye," Denarski said. After the injury, the horse was sent to the New Jersey Equine Clinic in Millstone, where Hogan worked at the time and was set to perform the operation. "The clinic prepared the operating room to remove the horse's eye," Denarski said. "When [Hogan] saw him, the eye looked as bad as had been described…but it's her practice to examine her patients before doing surgery." After running a series of tests including an ultrasound, Hogan decided to treat Smarty Jones' injuries and to hold off on removing his eye. "The horse healed exactly as she hoped he would…and Smarty Jones went on to become the phenomena he did," Denarski said. Denarski also spoke about the amount of time Hogan has devoted to the rehabbing of and finding new homes for former racehorses. Despite a very hectic schedule, Hogan also continues to share her passion for horses with high school and college students and has lectured at Dr. Sarah Ralston's horse management classes. "When she was the keynote speaker at the Equine Science Center's Horses 2007 conference this pastMarch, she held a packed room of 500 spellbound," Denarski said. Hogan said she was both profoundly honored and humbled to receive the award. "[I am] honored to be recognized by such an esteemed and accomplished group of people and humbled to receive an award for something that is so naturally a main focus and love of my life," she said. Hogan said that as a child shewas just one of those girls who had an unexplainable and insane love of horses from the moment she first laid eyes on one of the animals. "To be able to parlay that passion into a lifelong career caring for horses is just a treasure to me," Hogan said. She continued, "There is an old saying that you find a job you love and then you never have to work a day in your life. It could never be more true than in my case. I feel blessed to be able to care for these animals, to interact with them, and to occasionally play a role in allowing them to reach their full potential." Hogan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and completed an internship at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., followed by a surgical residency at TexasA&MUniversity's College of Veterinary Medicine in College Station, Texas. She is board certified with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Other locals acknowledged at the awards dinner were Dreamland Farms, of Upper Freehold, which owned and bredDreamlands Latte, the 2-year-old filly pacer of the year in 2007. The horse earned $118,062 last year, winning five of her 11 starts. Dreamland Farms owner ClaraMolski accepted the award. The three-year filly pacer of the year Artcotic, a horse bred by Perretti Farms, of Upper Freehold, was recognized for earning $107,750 in 2007 Sire Stakes events, and for earning $504,406 altogether. Princetonian, the 3-year-old colt trotter of the year in 2007, also bred by Perretti Farms, was also recognized for winning $147,277 for the year, with $119,178 of that sum earned in events restricted to New Jersey-bred horses. The Breeder of the Year award went to Kentuckiana Farms, of both theNew Egypt section of Plumsted and Lexington, Ky. New Egypt's Kentuckiana Farm, which is located on property once owned by harness racing great Stanley Dancer, stands the trotting stallion Yankee Glide, a horse that topped all trotting sires in North America in 2006 with offspring that earned nearly $9million. In 2007, his progeny banked more than $6.2 million. LaurelAcres'Hello Baby, an 8-year-oldminiature horse owned by Frank and Cathy Fatigati ofUpper Freehold,won the Superior Achievement award for her breed. The pinto mare has received national Top 10 awards from the American Miniature Horse Association for single pleasure driving mare, country pleasure mare, gentlemen's roadster, and multicolor mare, among other honors.