Tragedy Strikes Preakness Stakes with Horse Euthanized Hours Before Racing

The world of horse racing has faced yet another setback, with the death of the Bob Baffert-trained horse, Havnameltdown, after suffering a serious injury during an undercard race ahead of the 148th Preakness Stakes. This news comes weeks after the deaths of eight racehorses in the past month. These happenings have raised concerns around animal welfare, further overshadowing the second leg and much of the Triple Crown races.

In the Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico, the one-year-old mare Havnameltdown sustained an injury, a non-operable left fore fetlock injury. Consequently, the expert team of veterinarians led by Dr. Dionne Benson took a tough decision and humanely euthanized the mare, an announcement made by 1/ST Racing, who own and manage Pimlico Race Course. After being hit quite hard coming out of the gate, jockey Luis Saez was stable and conscious but was transported to the hospital for further evaluations.

Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer and two-time Triple Crown winner, returns to the Preakness Stakes this year after being banned from all Triple Crown races last year due to his horse, Medina Spirit, testing positive for a corticosteroid. The trainer is still tangled in a legal battle, and his comeback isn’t free of dramas due to the current happenings. Havnameltdown’s death has marked a difficult time for the horse racing sport, further highlighting concerns that animals are wrongly treated in the sport.

Amidst the tragic happenings, the second leg of the Triple Crown race is set to take place on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The big race will start at 6:50 p.m. ET and will air in the US on NBC, Peacock, the NBC website, and its app, with coverage of all of Saturday’s race across their channels. In the list of runners and riders, the favorites for this year’s race and expected to put up a good competition are National Treasure, Mage, Red Route One, and Blazing Sevens, among others. However, National Treasure, Baffert’s horse, is the top favorite to break the record, clinching the eighth Preakness Stakes win if it overcomes the tough odds.

Baffert’s return to this year’s Preakness amid all the tragedies has raised concerns and got him sharing out strongly in a post on Twitter that says, “We will be fully transparent with those reviewing this terrible accident. Right now, our thoughts are with Luis Saez, and we are hopeful he will be okay. We must collectively work to solve problems that threaten the equine athlete and make the sport safer for generations to come.”

Final Thoughts:

The persistent deaths of horses in races have raised concerns, including the need to address horse welfare questions, as horse racing is a beloved sport in America. There is a need for the sport’s governing body to regularly review horse racing regulations and take necessary steps to ensures safety in the sport. The death of Havnameltdown is indeed a tragedy and a pointer to the need for more safety measures needed to reduce the number of deaths happening in the sport.