Churchill Downs horse deaths: KHRC releases first three reports, including Parents Pride

Twelve horses died in the span of six weeks at Churchill Downs, prompting the famed Louisville track to suspend racing operations and move the remainder of its Spring Meet to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky.

When the move was announced June 2, per a recommendation from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said it will give the track time to conduct "a top-to-bottom review of all of the details and circumstances so that we can further strengthen our surface, safety and integrity protocols."

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has also been looking into the matter, as it does at tracks across the commonwealth, by compiling mortality reviews on each of the deaths after necropsies were performed at the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Lexington.

Three reports were published as of June 6 − on Parents Pride, Take Charge Briana and Freezing Point.

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Parents Pride's trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr., was suspended from Churchill Downs on May 4 after another one of his horses collapsed and died during the meet.

"We have no answers," Joseph said after learning of his suspension. "I mean, there's a lot of questions. There's a lot of thoughts, but there's nothing right now."

Here's a look at KHRC's mortality reviews of the horses who died at Churchill Downs during the 2023 Spring Meet (click on a horse's name to see the full review):

Parents Pride

Owner: Kenneth Ramsey

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

What happened: Parents Pride collapsed near the 3/16 pole during a 5 1/2-furlong turf race, her sixth career start, on April 29, unseating Gaffalione. According to a veterinary review included in KHRC's report, the 4-year-old filly had severe weakness in its hind limbs. She fell to her side with labored breathing and died on the track.

Review findings: Drug and toxicology tests detected no prohibited substances in Parents Pride. The presence of therapeutic medication and all other substances were within their normal limits. ... She was deemed sound during pre-race exams, with no gait abnormalities noted there or during her warmup on the track before the race. ... The necropsy report revealed mild to moderate changes in the heart, brain and lung but notes, "these were not thought to be significant enough to be the cause of the sudden death. The pathologist points out that many sudden deaths are 'autopsy-negative,'" which means no definitive cause of death is known. ... Veterinary records from the 60 days leading up to the April 29 race showed "very minimal and routine" work.

From the connections: Ramsey, Joseph and Gaffalione were not quoted in the review.

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Take Charge Briana

Owner: Willis Horton Racing LLC

Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas

Jockey: Luis Saez

What happened: On May 2, Take Charge Briana was roughly a length behind the leaders of a 1 1/16-mile turf race, her 12th career start, when she fell and unseated Saez near the 3/16 pole. A veterinarian who responded to the scene noted the 3-year-old filly had separated the fetlock, a joint between the cannon bone and the pastern, of her right front leg; and the decision was made to euthanize her due to the severity of the injury.

Review findings: Drug testing detected no prohibited substances in Take Charge Briana. The presence of therapeutic medication and all other substances were within their normal limits. ... A pre-race exam deemed the filly and others in the field "sound" and "consistent with horses at this stage of their careers," with no persistent gait abnormalities noted then or during the on-track warmup period. ... Take Charge Briana was placed on the vets list after being eased during a Nov. 26, 2022, race at Churchill. No cause was noted at the time. The filly next raced on New Year's Eve at Oaklawn Park after being cleared to do so by the regulatory veterinarian at the Arkansas track. ... She raced there four more times before returning to Louisville. ... Veterinary records from the 60 days leading up to the May 2 race showed "very minimal and routine" work.

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From the connections: Lukas described Take Charge Briana as "royally bred" and speculated that the fall was caused by her back end slipping out from under her when she changed leads. The trainer declined to comment on the turf condition, saying the majority of his horses race on the dirt track. ... Saez said the filly warmed up normally and seemed the same as she had in the past races, noting the incident occurred without warning when she switched leads and the turf course was in good shape that day.

Freezing Point

Owner: Randy Jill Gootzeit

Trainer: Joe Lejzerowicz

Jockey: Corey Lanerie

What happened: Freezing Point was running between horses during a 1-mile race May 6 on the dirt track, his sixth career start, when the 3-year-old colt pulled up at the 5-furlong pole due to a left forelimb injury. Responding veterinarian officials sedated the horse and applied a splint to the affected area. He was taken via ambulance to a medical center, where a private practitioner took radiographs of the injury, and was later euthanized after connections were consulted.

Review findings: KHRC said Freezing Point "had no major issues to trigger closer scrutiny," and an evaluation of the dirt track "revealed no issues." ... The colt fractured his front-left sesamoids, bones that anchor the suspensory apparatus that allows horses feet and fetlocks to move properly, and ruptured a ligament in the limb. Superficial and deep digital flexor tendons were torn, as well. ... Drug testing detected no prohibited substances, and the presence of therapeutic medication and all other substances were within their normal limits. ... The colt and others in the Pat Day Mile Stakes were deemed sound with no gait abnormalities noted during both pre-race exams and the track warmup period. Veterinary records from the 60 days leading up to the May 6 race showed "very minimal and routine" work. He was coming off 30 days rest.

From the connections: Lejzerowicz said Freezing Point was the first horse in his 35 years of training to be injured during a race. He told KHRC he thought "issues with the racing surface had been a factor in the injury." ... Lanerie disagreed, telling officials he thought the track was in "good shape." The jockey didn't recall the colt getting bumped by others in the field before the injury occurred.