Two more horses died at Churchill Downs on the day of the Kentucky Derby, making it a total of seven horses that have perished at the racetrack in the week-long lead up to the race.
Three-year-old Chloe’s Dream was euthanized following Race 2 on Saturday, after taking a bad step leaving the first turn and being taken off in an equine ambulance, according to CNN affiliate WDRB. In Race 8, Freezing Point pulled up suddenly and “was loaded into an equine ambulance under his own power,” Al Ruggles, the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ on-call veterinarian, told the NBC broadcast. The broadcast later said the horse was in a protective splint after suffering an injury to his front ankle before eventually being euthanized.
The string of horse deaths cast a pall for some Derby-goers on a mostly cloudy and warm day. “It’s concerning, and I hope they’re quickly trying the best they can to correct whatever’s going on,” said Michael Freeze, who along with his friend dressed up as jockeys. “They need to do whatever is best for the horses, and the sport in general.”
“Chloe’s Dream in Race 2 and Freezing Point in Race 8 sustained racing injuries from which they could not recover on Saturday, and for humane reasons, both were euthanized,” Darren Rogers, senior director of communications and media services for Churchill Downs, said in a statement to CNN. “The horses will be transported to the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostics Lab for complete necropsies.”
On Friday, racehorse trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was suspended indefinitely by Churchill Downs following the “highly unusual” deaths of two of his horses, Parents Pride and Chasing Artie.
Three other horses – not trained by Joseph – also died in recent days. According to Churchill Downs, Wild on Ice, a Derby contender, was hurt while training on Thursday and Take Charge Briana was injured in a race on Tuesday. Both were “euthanized for humane reasons.”
On April 29, 3-year-old gelding Code of Kings died after flipping and breaking his neck in Churchill’s temporary paddock before a race, according to Daily Racing Form.
New antidoping and medication rules enforced by a central governing body of the sport are scheduled to take effect May 22.
“There’s something going on,” said Pat Murtha, who was attending his first Derby. “They need to find out, and set some rules and regulations to protect these animals.”
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner, is nearing the end of a two-year ban issued by Churchill Downs Inc. One of his horses, Medina Spirit, crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Derby and failed a post-race drug test. The horse was disqualified and Baffert was punished.
In 2019, over 30 horse deaths occurred at California’s Santa Anita racetrack, rattling the industry and leading to safety reforms. Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow had his license revoked in 2011 for 10 years by New York officials. Regulators found syringes loaded with unauthorized medication in a desk in his barn. Dutrow re-opened his stable last month.
No comments:
Post a Comment