Tragedy struck the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore just hours before the Preakness Stakes, as Havnameltdown, a horse trained by Bob Baffert, suffered an injury and was euthanized during the undercard of the second leg of the Triple Crown, according to the Associated Press.
1/ST Racing, the owner of Pimlico Race Course, said the following in a statement: “During the subsequent evaluation, she observed a non-operable left fore fetlock injury. Due to the severity and prognosis of the injury, Dr. Benson and her counterparts made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Havnameltdown.”
Havnameltdown, the favorite in the Preakness Stakes undercard race, stumbled forward on the track, sending jockey Luis Saez hurtling to the ground.
Saez was examined on the track before he was taken to Sinai Hospital after dealing with leg pain.
Havnameltdown's death overshadows the Preakness, just as the Kentucky Derby was ushered out of the spotlight following the deaths of seven horses at Churchill Downs.
The horse's trainer, Baffert, is making his return to Pimlico Race Course after serving a two-year suspension following a failed drug test from 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit.
Baffert had battled his suspension, suing Churchill Downs in 2022 while previously blaming the suspension on “cancel culture” back in 2021.
In a message posted onto his Twitter account, Baffert pointed out that Havnameltdown was “hit pretty hard coming out of the gate”, noting that he was unsure if that had anything to do with the injury.
Regardless of how it happened, it's yet another sad day in horse racing.
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