By Homero De la Fuente and Zoe Sottile, CNN
Published 6:14 PM EDT, Sat May 6, 2023



Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire/AP


Two more horses have died at Churchill Downs, the home of the famed Kentucky Derby, officials from the track announced on Saturday. A total of seven horses have now died 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.

Kentucky Derby favorite Forte, with exercise rider Irad Ortiz, Jr up, runs during morning workouts at Churchill Downs Wednesday, May 3, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. Forte was scratched from the Derby on Saturday May 6.

“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.”

Saturday’s deaths both happened just hours before the main competition, scheduled for just before 7 pm ET on Saturday.

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.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/06...derby-spt/index.html

Doping.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Doping.

Or maybe those horses were all allergic to mint?

In my early teens I worked in stable. That limited experience made me convinced to never become involved with horses again. The horses were not too bad to deal with. The humans associated with them were pretty awful. I would guess the Derby mirrors my experience X100.

Saffies 2 horses that died were not in some sort of accident, they just keeled over dead. DRT. Gee what are the odds of that?

Drugs? Probably. Drug testing can only test for drugs known existing. There are always new drugs coming out on the sly, there is no way for testing a new unknown drug.


There’s way too much money involved. Too much ego as well.

Kentucky has 3 big money old line industries, tobacco and bourbon and horse racing. They’re all under attack.
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Weather has seen high temps of 79~80 so it should not be from heat exhaustion.

Weather has been near perfect derby week, a little cool early but pleasant the last few days. Horse deaths are all locals are talking about.

When I was in high school, I had to do community service as a part of graduation. I performed my community service at the mounted unit of the local Sheriffs department. The gal who managed all the horses told me they are susceptible to dying from mental duress, much easier than other animals.

Of course, I'm also aware of the concept of shitbag horse owners having their horses killed for insurance money.

I've always wondered about euthanatizing race horses for "humane reasons". Is it really that the horse would never recover or is it because the horse will never race again so it's worthless to the owner?

I was at the track in Charles Town, WV and witnessed a horse break it's leg. The leg was dangling below the knee and the poor thing was still trying to walk/run on it. I'm certain what I witnessed was the horse being euthanized behind a white sheet they held up on the track and then the body loaded into an enclosed trailer. Never want to experience something like that again.

Unfortunately there is so much money and prestige involved that the horses are put through all kinds of things they shouldn’t have to endure.


They need to put a strict antidoping policy in place that actually dissuades trainers from using PED’s. Right now a trainer gets busted so he has his understudy “take over” during the suspension and then resumes immediately after.


I remember Bob Baffert being completely appalled after one of his horses tested positive and was carrying on like he couldn’t believe people were accusing him of such atrocities.

I decided to look up his drug bust record thinking wow with a reaction like this it must be the first time.


Nope Baffert has been cited for infractions, most of them drug-related, more than 30 times over the course of his career. He has been caught and/or fined and/or suspended five times within the past year. How many times do you have to be caught red handed before a lifetime ban. Give me a break.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 1s1k,

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
I've always wondered about euthanatizing race horses for "humane reasons". Is it really that the horse would never recover or is it because the horse will never race again so it's worthless to the owner?

I was at the track in Charles Town, WV and witnessed a horse break it's leg. The leg was dangling below the knee and the poor thing was still trying to walk/run on it. I'm certain what I witnessed was the horse being euthanized behind a white sheet they held up on the track and then the body loaded into an enclosed trailer. Never want to experience something like that again.

My sisters had ownership of a retired race horse they used to show in quarter horse/Western. 100% best horse they've ever had (older sister gave it to younger when older sister stopped showing; I think younger had sold hers). Sadly it died suddenly overnight from a cardiac episode. Definitely had a very cushy life after its racing days were over.

Many former race horses become stud horses as well.

That said, broken legs are horrible for any horse due to blood flow issues (not enough vasculature to adequately heal, plus the animal as a whole is very top heavy). I don't think it's a 100% fatal wound, but the odds are not in the animal's favor, and the consensus is usually that it's not fair to the animal to put it through the surgeries and rehab it would take to get it back. This isn't even taking the very unfavorable odds into account.

In short: Race horses do have lives after their race days are done, and regardless of the background of the horse broken legs are bad news for equine.

ETA: I wholly agree with the person that commented on the owners of the horses being a problem. My experience meeting them is that they're either amazing people who will go through hell and back for you once you've made friends with them or they'll stab you in the back when it counts the most.

Linky

Apparently, the Army/Old Guard is having issues with their horses at Fort Myer - "unsatisfactory" living conditions.

^^^^^^^. That’s awful! Those horses deserve far better honor and treatment.

I wonder how bad a shape their hooves are in. Probably bad condition.
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If the Army can't take of those horses, then they should shut the operation down, period.

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:
Linky

Apparently, the Army/Old Guard is having issues with their horses at Fort Myer - "unsatisfactory" living conditions.

The Brits just had a coronation for their new king, there must've been 500+ horses involved marching around....in the middle of the LARGEST CITY IN EUROPE.

Every clip I've seen of the British army's barracks, stables and the general conditions for their horses appear to be quite stellar; this also aligns with the heavy-handed animal rights movement that's in the UK . However, for the US Army to not give a shit about its ceremonial animals (even if article is year old), ones who are very visible and involved with the ceremonies for our fallen, is a disgrace. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given that the Navy is ok with its ships to run with visible rust lines, and allows its shipyards to fall behind and out-of-date.

+1 on broken legs being a major issue for horses. They aren’t like dogs and cats, which can move around on 3.

We had a brood farm as a child. I remember a stud in a cast, but I think it was for a mild stress fracture rather than a full break.

Mainly, I remember the surly goat that was put in his stall to keep him company.

A racehorse is an investment, not a pet. If it cannot pay for its keep - which is VERY high - it has to be put down/sold if someone wants it. (The Amish buy a lot of race horses which don’t make the cut)

No different than dairy cows who no longer produce milk.

Wonder if drug testing looks for the methamphetamine altered drugs that come across the Mexican border?

What Aglifter said reflects my stable experience. Lots of idiots (mainly Chicks) wanted horses but had no idea of how much work that proper care of them entails or about the cost of care, feeding and housing them amounts to. Even as a kid I could see this and felt bad for the horses.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Doping.

4 of them died from unrecoverable leg injuries sustained in races 1 from a freak accident in the paddock where it spooked and flipped and broke it's neck, horses don't recover from broken legs, not exactly doping...

It is unusual the amount that has died, unusual that 4 horses broke legs in races in a week.

Then again, you have to consider that the racing season is well underway, horses are running all around the country, and in this week anyone and everyone is trying to get a horse in a race at Churchill... so there are a lot of horses there.

These type of horses live better than many of the people that care for them, and way better than your average plodding horse at a riding stable, hell many live better than millionaires do, you should see some of the stables...

As to the trainer that was suspended, we have zero indication of doping or anything malicious as of yet.