A sixth horse died at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Chloe’s Dream’s death comes after four horses passed away in just six days. Chloe Dream was a three-year-old gelding that ran on the Derby undercard.

The morning-line favorite to win, Forte, was also scratched from the 149th Run for the Roses, just hours before the Kentucky Derby was scheduled to get underway. Veterinarians examined Forte and determined it was better to exercise caution as it related to the bruise on his right hoof.

    Ynotgolf Don’t know what normal is for race horses. I’m guessing maybe they’re young horses being sorted out and not heavily tested veterans, but I know nothing about such things.

    I’m going with Kingsbarns just for fun.

        johnnydoom how many 6-8 year old children are running the Boston marathon and setting records? That is about the same as horse racing. They don't wait until the horses mature enough to allow muscles, tendons, and bones to become strong enough to handle the abuse of running in a race like that.

            Ynotgolf A sixth horse died at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

            Actually, another one also died today, making it 7.
            There was a track in CA last year, or year before where several horses died. A LOT of them. So many in fact, the state shut the track down in order to fully investigate as to why it was happening. I doubt they ever came up with a clear reason(s).

            Tracks are changing their hard surfaces to whatever will produce more speed, but they are supposed to be looking out for the welfare of the animals. I don't know if this is what they are doing in the thoroughbred industry, as they always seem to run on either dirt or grass surfaces; could be the base of the tracks is what is changing. Harness tracks have done some changes to the surface and it has produced super low times/fast speed just in the past 15 yrs.. I have not noticed an uptick of injuries at those tracks though, or in that industry. But, they are a more 'solid' built horse than the thoroughbred, and do not have the stress on their legs. Nor do they run the longer distances; typically just 1 mile.(unless in NZ or AU)

            There are a lot of possibilities as to why the horses are getting injured, and I'm sure they really will never put a finger on something that is the main cause. Vets can do some great "work" sometimes🤔😉, making it possible for a lame horse to keep running. That is something I, as a trainer, always frowned upon. I even tell humans that have problems to not go the needle route. But, they do. If you cannot feel the pain, you can do a lot more damage to something already damaged!! But, trainers will do anything(sometimes) to keep a horse producing income.
            Then there are always the drugs, sometimes legal, sometimes not. And the ones that are not will most times get used until the racing boards/agencies come up with a way of detecting them in the horses blood/urine.
            The latter is most likely why the 1 trainer (had 2 die this week) has been suspended and his horses scratched from the Derby today. Highly suspicious.

            Walterjn They don't wait until the horses mature enough

            This is true, and not true.....a very debatable issue that has been going on for many years. They get broken as a yearling, and expected to race as a 2 yr. old. Sometimes, due to foaling dates, they are not even a full 2. Most however are lightly raced at that age, then raced a lot at age 3, where all the biggest money purses are. A lot of horses never make it, at any age. And that is why the push is to develop the best to run the soonest.

                Died or were killed??? There's a difference, in my mind. Ending suffering is also different from just being disposable. Thank goodness we're not as disposable as horses for ticky tacky bullshit. Such beautiful animals and great athletes.

                  LBlack14 Died or were killed???

                  I'd have to go back and read all the articles, but I do think a couple up & died. The others were euthanized.

                  You have to keep in mind, these horses are basically shit after an injury; most would never be able to race again, if even walk, depending on the break, type of break, and location of. Also it is very hard to keep a horse 'under wraps' so to speak. They aren't like dogs/cats that will just lay there until healed & and I don't think anyone can pick them up and carry them around😄. They stand most of the time/a lot of the time, and are always ready to go off running....inbred nature I guess. Plus, the leg bones that break are most often shattered, beyond repair.

                  And these particular horses will be insured for very high/extremely high sums. Kind of makes it a no-brainer for the owners when something happens as such. A lot of them really do not care about the animal itself, just what that animal can produce, as far as income for them.

                  When you fall in love with a race horse.....you got to get out of the biz. It will bankrupt you! (an old saying....but true)

                  LBlack14 great athletes

                  Very true, more so than any human.
                  They will literally kill themselves in order to not get beat sometimes. I have seen/heard of cases where the hearts just exploded, dead before they hit the ground.
                  They fall down with a broken leg and keep trying to get up and take off again.

                  I love the sport, watch it every night,,,,,even if some think it barbaric. In fact, it has been around just that long, even before that time.