Trainer Suspended From Kentucky Derby After Deaths Of 2 Horses

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Churchill Downs suspended trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. indefinitely, and Lord Miles, trained by Joseph, was pulled from the Kentucky Derby on Thursday, only days after two of his horses died unexpectedly at the track.

The suspension prevents Joseph and any trainer he has directly or indirectly employed from entering horses in races or requesting stalls at any Churchill Downs Inc.-owned track.

Following the deaths of Parents Pride on Saturday and Chasing Artie on Tuesday, the decision was made. Both died after collapsing on the track.

“Given the sudden unexplained deaths, we have reasonable concerns about the condition of his horses and have decided to suspend him indefinitely until details are analyzed and understood,” CDI president and chief operating officer Bill Mudd said in a statement. “Our top priority is the safety of our equine and human athletes, as well as the integrity of our sport.” These steps are our obligation and responsibility.

Investigators have yet to determine a cause for the deaths of Joseph’s two horses in 72 hours, as well as two others over the previous week, which has put a gloom over Churchill Downs as it prepares for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

“This is the worst part of the game,” Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte, an early Derby favorite, remarked. “It’s very sad.”

Investigators from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Churchill Downs questioned Joseph earlier Thursday, he said.

“They found no evidence of wrongdoing on our part,” he stated.

According to the Daily Racing Form, Joseph gained authorization from the KHRC to scratch five horses from races on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Wednesday, he had already scratched one. He informed reporters earlier in the day that out of caution, he scratched any horse that had come into contact with the two that died.

Investigators investigated Joseph’s stable, verified the horses’ veterinary records.

Joseph intended to run Lord Miles in the Derby despite his parents’ deaths. The colt had arrived from Florida, while the two deceased horses were in Keeneland in Lexington.

Investigators investigated Joseph’s stable, verified the horses’ veterinary records, and obtained blood samples from each of his horses, which revealed nothing untoward, according to Joseph, a 36-year-old third-generation trainer. The horses’ feed, hay, straw, and vitamins were also examined.

Joseph, who moved to Florida in 2011 after training in his home in Barbados, was killed for the first time.

“It suffocates you. It shakes your confidence and makes you question everything,” he said.

At the same time, he continued, “There are two options: run away from it and pretend it didn’t happen, or face it and see what we can do.”

Meanwhile, two horses, including Derby contender Verifying, abandoned their exercise riders during on-track training on Thursday. Both riders were unharmed.

In addition to Joseph’s horses, Derby longshot Wild On Ice and three-year-old filly Take the Lead Briana had musculoskeletal issues while training or racing at Churchill Downs. Both were put down.

According to Joseph, the initial autopsy on his horse did not disclose a cause of death.

“We’re living on unknown terms right now, so that’s the uneasy part,” he explained.

Verifying, one of trainer Brad Cox’s four Derby contenders ran away on the course during morning training, setting off a warning siren. An outrider apprehended the colt and handed him over to Cox, who returned him to the barn. The rider on the exercise bike dislocated his right shoulder.

“He was galloping by, looking great.” “The rider was on the ground the next thing I knew,” Cox added. “We got lucky; we dodged a bullet.”

In 2019, the racing business was devastated when more than 40 horses died at Santa Anita

Cox stated that he had “no concern” about any problems with the track due to the horse deaths.

And Tell Me Nolies reared and dropped her rider shortly after before racing off the track at full speed and raging across the stable area in pursuit of her barn. According to trainer Peter Miller, the filly appeared to be fine and is slated to run in the Kentucky Oaks on Friday.

“Fortunately, she didn’t collapse, so she’s fine,” he said.

Repole believes that the sport could do more to reassure the public about how seriously it takes safety.

“People will understand injuries,” he predicts. “People won’t understand injuries with death.”

In 2019, the racing business was devastated when more than 40 horses died at Santa Anita in California. As a result, a slew of safety measures were made across the country.

“The horses are well cared for, and we do our best to keep these things from happening,” Joseph explained. “Many times, you never get answers in those sudden deaths.”

SOURCE – (AP)