gory read - re: Keeneland Paddock horse fatality

[JimbleBrimble]

It is, at least, factual:


http://kentuckyconnect.com/303/story/196177.html


On a day rich in stakes racing but marred by tragedy, two horses died yesterday at Keeneland while a third -- the popular Teuflesberg -- headed for surgery.

Teuflesberg, a $9,000 sales purchase who went on to win $621,981 for owners that included his trainer, Jamie Sanders, fractured both sesamoids in one leg during the running of the Phoenix Handicap.

The sesamoids are two small bones behind the ankle. Teuflesberg was to undergo surgery, perhaps early this week, to fuse his ankle. Late yesterday, he was receiving pre-operative medication at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital.

Teuflesberg's injury occurred during the running of the Phoenix only minutes after a horse being saddled for the race -- Dream of Angels -- suffered fatal head injuries in the paddock.

With part of the crowd of 24,480 watching the horses being saddled for the Phoenix, Dream of Angels reared on his hind legs and fell over backward. The 3-year-old, chestnut colored colt was bleeding profusely from his nostrils as racing personnel scrambled to come to his aid and keep him subdued.

Track maintenance workers quickly erected screens around the horse to shield him from view of onlookers on the other side of the paddock fence. The horse was euthanized behind the screens.

"Unfortunately, the horse fractured its skull, had severe bleeding associated with it, cranial and spinal cord problems, was unable to rise," said Dr. Alan Ruggles, representing the American Association of Equine Practitioners' On-Call Veterinarian service.

Ruggles said the colt appeared to have reared out of excitement and not because it was suffering a medical problem.

Then, in a series of mishaps, ambulance personnel were unable to get to the body where it lay in the paddock. Horse ambulance drivers were unable to back the vehicle into the walking ring adjacent to the paddock, despite several attempts.

The ambulance was able to reach that position only after Keeneland personnel worked with difficulty to clear the crowd that blocked the standing area between the rear of the grandstand and the paddock.

Keeneland President Nick Nicholson said the ambulance was supposed to go through a rail that comes down at the opposite end of the paddock, closer to the enclosed saddling stalls. But that rail would not come down, according to Nicholson.

"We tried all the options, and between the crowd, it was a tough situation. We're just so sorry it happened," Nicholson said.

With the Phoenix Handicap ending on the track, Keeneland was running out of options for removing the horse's body from the paddock. Horses would be entering the paddock shortly for the next race. And this was a day when the races had to go on time, since some were being televised on ESPN.

The only choice was to bring in a tractor, move the body onto a rubber mat, and pull the horse out the paddock entrance where the ambulance had been moved to receive the horse.

All the while, the horse's body remained screened from racing patrons. Keeneland maintenance workers had continued to hold up the screens from soon after the horse fell until he was moved outside the paddock. As the tractor slowly pulled the horse, the maintenance workers moved the screens with him.

Though paddock viewers could not see much, they appeared very concerned about the horse, according to Connie Whitfield, vice chairman of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority.

She did not see the horse fall but had heard the crowd and saw it react.

"I heard the various comments, like 'Oh, the poor horse.' ... Everybody was talking about it. They were concerned about the horse," she said.

Whitfield said she wanted to see the racing authority order a necropsy of the horse.

One other horse lost its life yesterday. This was Gold Train, who fractured his right front leg during the running of the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity.

Gold Train was euthanized at his barn.

[Gerry]

I watched a filly flip at Suffolk last year, she tried repeatedly to get up but couldnt and they finally put her down but they didnt put a curtain up until they decided to euthanize her..so we all watched as she struggled to get up. My filly was in the same race and I was petrified and upset...I still cant remember where my filly finished without looking at the chart but I remember that poor filly flipping!

[winds]

They are so exitable in the paddock. People don't realize how dangerous being in the paddock is. You have all the horses and all of the owners etc in a very small, confined space. Even the best behaved horses can do something out of nowhere and you have to be on your toes the whole time.

My heartfelt condolonces go out to all involved in that tragedy, all of the tragedies.

winds

[ZZTOPPERS]

If you've ever been in the paddock at KEE, it's an absolute zoo--way too many people scurrying about without any connections to a horse being saddled, and most without a clue that there are horses around--it's like a VIP section of the club to them. It's a cross between a comedy and a tragedy--I watched a group chatting aimlessly in the middle of the paddock get run over by a spooked 2YO last year, and they never saw it coming! I prefer the back stalls to the tree rings--a few less people anyway.

[Sunday Silence]

ZZ,

Did anybody get seriously hurt when they were run over?

[ZZTOPPERS]

No, just knocked three people around, I think one hit the grass (high heels and penny loafers do not make great track shoes) but everyone escaped uninjured--and what floored me was the conversation picked right back up in the new location where everyone landed!

[SCandproud]

Situations like this are why it is so important to have someone good on the end of the shank. I'm not saying that in this instance they did not, I'm saying that the wrong moves at the wrong time can worsen an already dangerous situation. When a horse rears the natural tendancy is to pull against them to bring them down...WRONG! Give them their head and they most times will come back down and when they do you can give them a little giggle of the shank or softly snatch them a time or two to get their attention and everything is fine. The harder you pull against them, the more they fight you. That being said, it was a terrible accident and my heart goes out to all involved.

[Barbaro06]

A filly flipped in the paddock at Laurel the day of the Maryland Million. Luckily she did not hit her head...just scared herself good. She did go on to finish third in her race which I found amazing. My heart leapt into my throat when she went down though....

[kezeli]

I saw a two year old bonk his head on the door frame coming out of the barn at St lucie training center(does it stiil exist?), knocked himself out cold. We all thought he was dead, he lay still for so long, I guess he and the excercise rider were realllllly lucky as they were both ok. Really a tooth grinder though.

[winds]

The old St Lucie training center is now Payson Park. Mrs Payson and her now deceased husband bought it years ago and made a multitude of improvements. Many a nice horse is rested there during the winter months.

winds

[chicago78]

I'll second the post about Keeneland's paddock being a zoo. It's very spread out, there are people everywhere, and many of the track valets are about 200 years old, and it's a very confusing situation. The double edged sword with Keeneland, Del Mar, and Saratoga is that our horses are not used to huge crowds in the paddock, because most days racing has very low on track attendance. All the people get the horses so excited.