Slowly but surely, Happy's incredible story is unfolding.

Since he came to Tiverton last fall, staff and volunteers at West Place Animal Sanctuary had been trying to uncover their rescued thoroughbred’s past. They knew only fragments of his story — that he was a former racehorse, about 14 years old, and that he had narrowly escaped being sent to slaughter after throwing a rider. But there was not much more.

“When we rescued Happy in September of 2025, we knew he was a former racehorse,” said Patrick Cole, communications and grants director for the sanctuary. “The story that we were told was that he was pulled from the racetrack and was going to be sent to slaughter because he threw a rider, and they really just don’t put up with that in the racing world.”

Happy’s journey to West Place had already been turbulent. A couple initially rescued him from slaughter, but after facing financial hardship and losing their home, they could no longer care for him. He was re-homed once before another housing crisis left him at risk again.

“That’s when we came in,” Cole said. “Sometimes we do have to rescue from the rescue.”

Tattoo's tale

Once settled into sanctuary life late last year, Happy slowly revealed clues about who he once was. During the winter, staff discovered a faded tattoo inside his upper lip — a standard identifier used for registered racehorses.

“We flipped up his lip, but we couldn’t really make out the tattoo,” Cole said. “Honestly, you couldn’t tell if it was letters or numbers. It looked like hieroglyphics.”

The sanctuary tried everything. Volunteers experimented with photo filters, black-and-white enhancements and even artificial intelligence programs in hopes of deciphering the faded markings. They contacted the Jockey Club, but no one could identify the horse.

“We were kind of almost ready to give up,” Cole said. “We thought we may never know his history.”

Then came May 2, Kentucky Derby day.

Happy answers

West Place hosted a “Happy’s Derby Day” event to celebrate the horse’s first spring at the sanctuary. Around the same time, staff submitted photos of Happy and his tattoo to a Facebook group dedicated to identifying former racehorses.

Within two days, they had an answer.

“She got back to us and said, ‘I found him,’” Cole recalled.

Happy’s racing name was “Catch Me Ha Ha,” and records showed he raced at Finger Lakes Racetrack in upstate New York from 2015 through 2017, earning two first-place finishes during his career.

“He was no slouch,” Cole said with a laugh.

But the discoveries did not stop there.

Once sanctuary staff uncovered his racing identity, they were able to trace his lineage — and found Happy carried some of the most legendary bloodlines in horse racing history.

On his father’s side, Happy is a descendant of Secretariat, widely considered one of the greatest racehorses ever to live.

“That’s his great-great-great-grandfather,” Cole said.

On his mother’s side, Happy descends from Man o' War and War Admiral — iconic names in racing lore. War Admiral famously lost to Seabiscuit in the legendary 1938 “Race of the Century.”

“It’s definitely some good bloodline there,” Cole said. “Not surprising that he was a winner.”

Today, however, Happy’s life looks far different from his racing days.

Visitors to West Place may still catch glimpses of the horse’s athleticism as he races across the sanctuary’s trails, powerful and fast despite his age. But Cole says the horse’s true personality emerges in quieter moments.

“What’s incredible is how gentle he is,” he said. “When he’s not racing and not forced to do something, he’s very sweet. He’s a gentle giant.”

For the sanctuary, Happy’s story has become about more than famous ancestry or racetrack victories. It is a reminder that even animals with celebrated pedigrees can end up discarded — and that rescue can offer them a second chance.

Now, instead of racing for trophies, Happy spends his days surrounded by care, open fields and admirers eager to meet the horse with royal racing roots.