Horse euthanized at Churchill Downs after broken leg; becomes 8th thoroughbred to die at track in last 2 weeks
'Churchill Downs is a killing field,' says PETA
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Another horse is dead after running at Churchill Downs, the site of the annual Kentucky Derby.
Rio Moon broke his leg on Sunday near the finish line and had to be euthanized.
The horse became the eighth to die in the last two weeks at the racetrack - seven died of multiple causes in the days, and hours, leading up to the May 6 Derby.
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General view prior to the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
One of the horses, Wild on Ice, was supposed to run in the Kentucky Derby, while two others died in the Derby's undercard.
After the race, PETA sounded off on the racetrack and the sport.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Churchill Downs is a killing field. … They should play 'Taps' at the Derby instead of ‘My Old Kentucky Home,’" PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
On top of that, five thoroughbreds were scratched from the big race, including the morning-line favorite Forte, just hours before the race. It was the first time since 1936 five horses were scratched from the Kentucky Derby.
General view prior to the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Although PETA appreciates that the Kentucky state veterinarian exercised caution by scratching the Derby favorite, we called for the closure of the track so stronger protocols could be put in place. Churchill Downs should have listened," PETA said.
"This is part of racing, and it’s the cruel part," Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte, said in an interview with FanDuel TV.
This is not new for the sport in North America.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Medina Spirit crossed the finish line first at the 2021 Kentucky Derby but was disqualified after failing a post-race drug test. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner, was banned from Churchill Downs for two years because of it, but that was not the end of Medina Spirit's controversy.
The horse died that December.
Spectators look on as horses finish a race ahead of the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}More than 30 horses died in 2019 at the Santa Anita racetrack in California.