Four horses have died after running at Churchill Downs since Thursday as the famed track prepares to host the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. The racetrack is already renowned for having one of the highest rates of fatality for horses—and there is no plausible theory to explain the problematical statistic.
Lisa Lazarus, chief executive of the newly established Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, said both the dirt and turf courses had been examined by its experts and were deemed to be safe.
One theory suggests that it may be related to a culture of drugs and lax regulation existing not only at Churchill, but all US racetracks, that have a far higher rate of horses breaking down and being euthanized than most other places in the world.
Trainers have experimented with anything that may give their horses an edge, including chemicals that bulk up pigs and cattle before slaughter, cobra venom, Viagra, blood doping agents, stimulants and cancer drugs. Detection is difficult as laboratories scramble to keep up.
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, three horses died in two days of spring racing since the season started. Parents Pride collapsed and died after racing Saturday. Chasing Artie died under similar circumstances after racing Tuesday.
Take Charge Briana was euthanized Saturday after sustaining what Daily Racing Forum reports was a “catastrophic” injury during competition. She was owned by Willis Horton Racing and trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the Courier-Journal reports.
A fourth horse — Wild on Ice — was euthanized Thursday after breaking his hind leg during training. His jockey, Ken Tohill, pulled him up while he was galloping on the back stretch. He was preparing to run in the Derby. He was owned by Frank Sumpter.
Churchill Downs released a statement addressing the deaths.
“While a series of events like this is highly unusual, it is completely unacceptable,” the statement reads. “We take this very seriously and acknowledge that these troubling incidents are alarming and must be addressed.”
The deaths of the horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. don’t appear to be injury related. The causes are still pending necropsies, the Courier-Journal reports. Joseph told the Courier-Journal that bloodwork and labs came back normal for both horses and that their team is testing the horses’ feed and supplements for irregularities.
“We’re going to have to figure out, ‘What’s the reason?’” Joseph said. “I don’t think it’s bad fortune. It’s not about that, to happen twice. … I don’t have an answer right now. I wish I did.
“Something’s not right. These horses, it wasn’t because of injury. They left the gate and didn’t even try and then dropped down. … Theories aren’t going to help. We need facts.”
Common drugs such as anti-inflammatories pose the greatest risk to horse and rider. At higher levels, pain medicine can mask injury, rendering pre-race examinations less effective. If a horse cannot feel pain, it may run harder than it otherwise would, putting extra stress on an injury.
That was one reason the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority was established under the oversight of the Federal Trade Commission. The rules and penalties it has written to eliminate doping and abuse within thoroughbred racing will take effect on May 22.
Joseph told USA Today that plans to race other horses this weekend are in jeopardy as the causes of death for Parents Pride and Chasing Artie remain unclear.
“When you don’t know something, that’s when it worries you the most,” he continued. “Something is wrong. A lot of thoughts run through your head, but you can drive yourself insane.
“But I’m very uneasy right now. It’s not something I would wish on anybody.”
