How Churchill Downs responded to the death of 4 horses days before the Kentucky Derby
Ahead of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Churchill Downs has been marred by the deaths of three horses in first week of racing this season at the famed track.
Additionally, Kentucky Derby contender Wild On Ice was euthanized on April 27 after sustaining musculoskeletal injuries during a morning workout. The three other deceased horses were not running in the Derby.
In a lengthy statement released on Wednesday, Churchill Downs called the deaths ‘completely unacceptable’ and is investigating the incidents:
Transparency is an important component of our commitment to safety and accountability in horse racing. We share the concern of our fans who have questions about the recent equine fatalities at Churchill Downs Racetrack and we extend our sincere condolences to those who love and cared for these horses.
Since Opening Night of Kentucky Derby Week, two horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. have died suddenly of cause yet to be identified: Parents Pride on Saturday and Chasing Artie on Tuesday. Two other horses sustained musculoskeletal injuries from which they could not recover: Wild on Ice last Thursday while training on dirt and Take Charge Briana during a turf race on Tuesday. Wild on Ice was transported to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for care, but both were ultimately euthanized for humane reasons.
While a series of events like this is highly unusual, it is completely unacceptable. We take this very seriously and acknowledge that these troubling incidents are alarming and must be addressed. We feel a tremendous responsibility to our fans, the participants in our sport and the entire industry to be a leader in safety and continue to make significant investments to eliminate risk to our athletes. We have full confidence in our racing surfaces and have been assured by our riders and horsemen that they do as well.
Each horse was transported to the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostics Lab for complete necropsies. We continue to press for answers and are working with regulators to conduct swift and thorough investigations.
The safety and well-being of horses is a critical issue for which everyone in the industry shares responsibility; however, we will continue to take every measure to ensure that we are providing the safest possible environment for horses on our property.
According to Olivia Evans and Stephanie Kuzydym of the Louisville Courier Journal, necropsies on the horses will take two-to-three weeks to determine a cause of death.
“We have to get through it and figure out what’s the reason,” said Joseph, the trainer of two of the horses who died. “I don’t think it’s just bad fortune. For it to happen twice? We’re going to see. I don’t have an answer. I wish I did. I’d love to have closure. But you just have to go through protocol. Not having an answer is the worst thing. When a horse gets injured, that’s different. You have an answer. There’s no answer for this.”
Jockey Luis Saez was riding two of the horses who died, the Louisville Courier Journal reported. He remains slated to ride one Tapit Trice, one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby.
Saez was the jockey for Maximum Security in 2019 when the thoroughbred crossed the finish line first at the Kentucky Derby only to be disqualified for interference. The win was instead awarded to Country House. Saez said Maximum Security was reacting to noise from the infield crowd yet was subsequently suspended for 15 days for failure to control his mount. It was one of six times that season Saez was cited for careless riding.
The 149th Kentucky Derby is scheduled to run Saturday, May 6.