The 2023 Kentucky Derby has yet to start, but the event has already been tarnished by the death of another horse early Saturday, according to Beth Harris of AP News.

Chloe's Dream competed in the second race of the day as part of the undercard at the big spectacle before injuring his right knee on the racetrack. He was later euthanized, marking the sixth horse death leading up to the Derby.

“He just took a bad step out there,” trainer Jeff Hiles said. “They could do the same thing running in the field as they could on the track. So it’s very unfortunate. That’s what we deal with.”

Horse racing has already been thrust into an era of change with new doping policies set to be officially enacted near the end of May. Safety concerns have to be on top of the list of priorities, now, though. The prestige gleaming off Churchill Downs is being blemished by these calamities.

Celebrities will keep attending, and it will remain a bettor's paradise, but the dark side of the sport is now being held up close to the public. It will be difficult for people to keep this information awkwardly in their subconscious as has always been the norm. These deaths are obviously being investigated, but they will need to be seriously addressed.

Earlier, Kentucky Derby favorite Forte was scratched from the race with a bruised foot. A reasonable person would assume the conditions of Churchill Downs have to play a role in these deaths and injuries.

Nevertheless, the show will go on and a winner will be crowned. That's horse racing, as they say. But how long will people continue to accept that cruel fact?