Race declared no contest after horses evade moving ambulance

A quarter-horse race at Evangeline Downs was declared a no-contest after an ambulance was driving the wrong way around the inner rail on the far turn, causing several horses to alter course.

Multiple horses had to check or sharply alter course in order to avoid the ambulance. No horses or riders collided with the vehicle, and all finished the race. But several jockeys did not persist with their horses through the middle and late stages of the race after the incident with the ambulance, and stewards declared the race a no-contest. The incident previously was reported by Ray Paulick of Paulick Report.

One Fast Cajun, ridden by Kody Kellenberger, closed to run down Explosive Legend and hit the wire first, with third place a tight affair between Easy Jumpn Jet and rail-drawn Kvn Valiant Corona, the horse who altered most sharply because of the ambulance.

"With the track vehicle out of position on the turn, and it did seriously affect some of the runners," announcer Rob Tuel said on the track feed. "And to be honest with you I saw a flash of light and did not pick up that it was actually a moving vehicle as they were heading the other way. With that, thankfully, nothing happened, but with the incident tonight's eighth race has been declared no contest."

Saturday's eighth and final race was the only race on the card that used the turn. All earlier races on the card were 250 yards to 400 yards, distances that use the straightaway down the home stretch. The final race covered 870 yards, just under four furlongs, a distance that requires horses to run around one turn.

Officials with Evangeline Downs and the Louisiana Racing Commission did not immediately reply to Horse Racing Nation requests for comment.