Royal Chase at Keeneland

[Riot]

Not meaning to start a "steeplechasing sucks" thread - I happen to like them, but ...

The second horse that went down in the Royal Chase (on the second fence on the backstretch, just before entering the final turn) - got up, stood there holding up a front leg, jock had the reins, it reared a little a time or two. And then they stood there. And stood there. The horse obviously couldn't weight the leg.

While this is going on, I watched the horse ambulance sit immobile at the head of the backstretch, not one outrider moved, nobody from the infield headed towards the horse.

The race finished and the horses galloped out. Jock and injured horse still standing there, jock looking around. Still nobody moving towards this horse as horses finish the gallop out and start to come back towards the stands.

The horse suddenly went down as if shot. I wasn't sure it was still alive at this point - it didn't look it (it was). NOW people in the infield start running out to the horse, NOW the horse ambulance starts moving, NOW outriders start galloping over there.

I couldn't believe it. Nobody moved to help this horse and rider until the entire grandstand gasped as the horse suddenly went flat and we all thought it died.

I was angry. Why was no assistance - at least an outrider - immediately sent towards this horse and rider? Would this have happened if it were a flat race and a horse went down before the final turn?

Equibase was down. Anybody know which horse this was? I saw it (behind the screen) make it into the horse ambulance three-legged (it eventually got up on it's own power after some time) - but the horse ambulance sat on the field for a bit, and when it left, it didn't seem to be taking much caution with it's passenger regarding speed or turns. Does anybody know what happened to this horse?

[my miss storm cat]

I didn't see the race and from what you describe..... well, it's just shiocking.

I'm sorry to say that Racey Dreamer was euthanized.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

I didn't see the race and from what you describe..... well, it's just shiocking.

I'm sorry to say that Racey Dreamer was euthanized.

Well, thanks for that. I thought that's what was happening in the van.

Rest in peace, good horse, now you can run safe and free.

Imagine a horse going down just before the final turn in a 6F sprint, and nobody - nobody - moves toward the horse until after the other horses have crossed the finish line, galloped out to the end of the first turn, and started heading back.

The more I think of it, the angrier I become.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by Riot

Well, thanks for that. I thought that's what was happening in the van.

Rest in peace, good horse, now you can run safe and free.

Imagine a horse going down just before the final turn in a 6F sprint, and nobody - nobody - moves toward the horse until after the other horses have crossed the finish line, galloped out to the end of the first turn, and started heading back.

The more I think of it, the angrier I become.

It breaks my heart, makes me sick and I feel outraged all at once.

Poor horse... poor horse.

Unforgivable.

[Bigsmc]

That would explain why Matthew McCarron brushed by Simon Bray (I think it was Simon) when he tried to interview him on TVG. Mr. McCarron was probably pissed at the lack of urgency in this situation.

[paisjpq]

I was there yesterday and thought the same thing...it was like no one even was paying attention (which is inexcusable)...after the first horse went down everyone concentrated on catching him and then it was like " oh, game over, we did our work this race " maybe if they had gotten there sooner and gotten him on the ambulance the whole crowd wouldn't have had to see him collapse and lay on the track for 5 minutes before help got to him...it was a BAD display on the part of the KEE staff.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

I was there yesterday and thought the same thing...it was like no one even was paying attention (which is inexcusable)....

I'm sorry to see someone else had the same impression.

I also started wondering, "Where's the ambulance kept?" for the jocks. Some tracks have the ambulance following the riders around.

I think Keeneland has something to answer for, to the horsemen and jocks - and public - regarding this incident.