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Tragedy Strikes Churchill Downs as Eighth Horse Fatality in Recent Weeks Sparks Outrage

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Key takeaways:

  • Rio Moon, a 3-year-old colt, suffered a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg and was euthanized.
  • This marks the eighth fatality in recent weeks at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby.
  • The death of Rio Moon has sparked outrage among animal rights activists, who are calling for an investigation into the safety of racing at Churchill Downs.

On Sunday, tragedy struck Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, when a horse named Rio Moon suffered a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg a few strides after the wire in the sixth race. The 3-year-old colt, ridden by jockey Martin Garcia, was euthanized, according to notes in the Equibase chart for the race.

This marks the eighth fatality in recent weeks at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby. Two horses were also euthanized after being injured in races on the Kentucky Derby undercard on May 6.

Rio Moon was trained by Dale Romans and was winless in six career starts with earnings of $11,621. The horse had made his debut in April of 2021 and had competed in five races since then.

The death of Rio Moon has sparked outrage among animal rights activists, who are calling for an investigation into the safety of racing at Churchill Downs. The track has yet to comment on the incident, but many are hoping that the tragedy will lead to improved safety measures for horses in the future.

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