Sixth And Seventh Horses Die During Churchill Spring Meet With Two Derby Day Racing Fatalities
Horse ambulance at Churchill Downs
Chloe's Dream, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Rocket Ship Racing and trained by Jeff Hiles, became the sixth fatality of the Churchill Downs spring meet after he was injured in the Kentucky Derby day program's second race on Saturday and subsequently euthanized.
Six races later, in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile Stakes, Freezing Point sustained an injury near the six-furlong pole on the backstretch. He, too, was vanned off and euthanized. The 3-year-old Frosted colt was owned by Randy Jill Gootzeit and trained by Joe Lejzerowicz. Winner of one of six starts, Freezing Point was purchased by Gootzeit for $13,000 at the OBS Open Sale. In his previous race, Freezing Point finished third in the Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland on April 7.
"Chloe’s Dream sustained an injury from which he could not recover, and for humane reasons, was euthanized," said Darren Rogers, senior director of communications and media services for Churchill Downs. "He will be transported to the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostics Lab for a complete necropsy."
Rogers did not immediately confirm the death of Freezing Point, which was reported by NBC.
Settled near the back of the field of nine 3-year-old maidens going 1 1/16 miles on the main dirt track, Chloe's Dream was pulled up by jockey Corey Lanerie (who also was aboard Freezing Point) just after rounding the first turn. The horse was taken off the track by horse ambulance and euthanized, according to NBC.
Recommended for You
The son of Honor Code was making his second career start after a third-place finish in his debut March 24 on the synthetic Tapeta track at Gulfstream Park. Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corp., Chloe's Dream was a $12,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase.
Chloe's Dream is the first horse to suffer a fatal injury while racing on the Churchill main track this spring but the sixth known death since Wild On Ice, pointing to the Kentucky Derby, sustained a catastrophic injury while training on the morning of April 27 and could not be saved.
Two horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. collapsed and died after racing. Parents Pride did not finish her race on the opening night program April 29 and was taken off by horse ambulance and then died. Chasing Artie, beaten 28 3/4 lengths in a turf sprint on May 2, suffered a similar fate.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission subsequently suspended Joseph's right to enter horses in Kentucky, pending an investigation into the deaths, and his Derby entrant, Lord Miles, along with several other horses, were scratched. Churchill Downs also issued a ban on Joseph from its tracks.
Code of Kings, a 3-year-old gelding trained by Tim Glyshaw, died after flipping in the paddock before an April 29 race and breaking his neck.
On May 2, D. Wayne Lukas-trained Take Charge Briana, a 3-year-old Curlin filly, was injured at the top of the stretch of a 1 1/16-mile turf race, vanned off, and euthanized.
