2 recent deaths at Churchill Downs remain unexplained

Four horses have died since last week at Churchill Downs, and the reason for two of the deaths is undetermined.

Wild On Ice was euthanized Thursday after suffering a left-hind leg injury at the end of a pre-dawn workout at Churchill Downs. He was eligible for the Kentucky Derby after winning the Sunland Park Derby (G3). This would have been the first run for the roses for trainer Joel Marr.

Take Charge Briana, a 3-year-old Curlin filly trained by D. Wayne Lukas, was euthanized Tuesday after a catastrophic injury in the upper stretch of race 5, as reported by Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form.

Parents Pride and Chasing Artie, both owned by Ken Ramsey and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., are the other two horses who died, as McGee reported on Twitter.

Parents Pride, a 4-year-old daughter of Maclean’s Music, died after the eighth race Saturday night. Chasing Artie, a 5-year-old gelding by We Miss Artie, died after the eighth race Tuesday.

“We've got the preliminary autopsy back on Parents Pride, and the blood was good,” Ramsey told Horse Racing Nation Wednesday. “They couldn't find anything wrong. And also the preliminary report on Chasing Artie was similar. So I don't know what happened to them, but it's very perplexing that the two deaths were so similar, and that both of them were fit and healthy before the race.”

Ramsey explained that with Parents Pride, jockey Tyler Gaffalione “realized that something was amiss. So he eased her back through the pack, and she came out around kind of the middle of the stretch and he dismounted, so at least it didn't happen suddenly. Then she just sat back on her hind and rolled over and died.”

Chasing Artie’s case was “very similar,” he said. “He finished the race, and they brought the horse back, Chasing Artie, and was hosing him down. And Luis Saez, the jockey, told Saffie Joseph there was something wrong with the horse, he was not right, he refused to run. And then he just collapsed and died right there just outside of the winner's circle.”

Ramsey said he was “perplexed and stunned and very, well, distraught.”

“Both these were good-quality horses. The filly, she had won her two prior races, and we thought she had a bright future. And of course Chasing Artie was a stakes winner and looked good. They were in the proper spots. Chasing Artie went off the third choice in the betting. And the other filly, Parents Pride, she was co-second choice at 2-1.”

Ramsey said that a full necropsy will be performed on each horse and that perhaps a “common denominator” will be found. “It’s very unusual. Two healthy, fit athletes that look as good as training as well as they were to suddenly not run the race and die at the end of it.”

Each horse was transported to the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostics Lab for complete necropsies, Churchill Downs said in a news release. "We continue to press for answers and are working with regulators to conduct swift and thorough investigations."

The Churchill Downs release also said, "While a series of events like this is highly unusual, it is completely unacceptable. We take this very seriously and acknowledge that these troubling incidents are alarming and must be addressed.

"We feel a tremendous responsibility to our fans, the participants in our sport and the entire industry to be a leader in safety and continue to make significant investments to eliminate risk to our athletes. We have full confidence in our racing surfaces and have been assured by our riders and horsemen that they do as well."