Deadly Day at Keeneland

I'm not supposed to have to write articles like this. Polytrack was going to change everything.

Today at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, two horses were euthanized and three-year-old star Teuflesberg suffered career-ending injuries that reports say will require surgery on both his front legs. He was moved to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington where he will undergo surgery.

It was a big day at Keeneland, with five graded stakes on the card. Keeneland is entering it's second year of racing on a Polytrack (patented artificial) surface.

Racing is serious this time of year, with only three weeks left until the almighty Breeders Cup, which is like the Super Bowl for racing.

I wasn't watching ESPN today when it happened, so I went to the Keeneland web site. No headlines, no statement of the facts, no tasteful tribute to the fallen horses are posted there. Keeneland owns the company that produces Polytrack surfaces for racetracks. On the Polytrack page of the Keeneland site is the title: "Polytrack: A safer solution".

From what I understand, one horse was euthanized in the paddock before the race, and two broke down on the Polytrack surface during races.

MSNBC seems to be the only racing news outlet that considers the injury of three horses (on the new "safe" racing surface) and the death of two of them as newsworthy enough for a story.

Meanwhile, at Belmont Park in New York, Barclay Tagg's NoBiz Like ShoBiz won the Jamaica Handicap on the turf by four lengths. It was a big day of stakes races there, too, with everyone prepping for the Breeders Cup.

Are these horses being pushed too hard to qualify and prep for the Breeders Cup? Are trainers racing their horses on a schedule dictated by counting weeks backward from the Breeders Cup circled on their calendars?

Barclay Tagg shocked everyone by saying that his popular colt would probably skip the Breeders Cup three weeks from now and train up to the Hollywood Derby in late November.

Imagine that.

Sunday morning update: FoxSports posted an Associated Press story that has the breakdowns in the headline, but it doesn't have much information about the horses nor any reaction from track officials, owners, jockeys, etc.

See you in Kentucky!

If it's the end of April, it's time to go to Kentucky. The sport-horse world is poised to descend on the Bluegrass. Thousands of Dansko-clogged, sunburned eventing fans and shoppers traditionally trudge the hills and vales of the Kentucky Horse Park, where the crowd is all part of the show at America's beloved 4-star Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event from April 26th to the 29th.

Count me among the Dansko-clod, although I think this year we may be switching over to Wellies and we may be wielding umbrellas instead of sun block. We've done that before! You may have to put those waterproof DuBarry boots to the test!

If you enjoy this blog, why not take a minute to stop by the Primedia booth at the trade show village and mention it to the staff? What are your suggestions to improve our service to you? (You can also click on "comments" at the end of this post and share your views with all readers.)

And if you enjoy this blog, you will love the demonstrations being held on Thursday afternoon at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. Stop by their booth and they will tell you about the buses that will take you from the Horse Park to the hospital (and back), which is close by.

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute will be hosting live seminars during the event, so stop by their booth to find out the schedule.

Enjoy the spectacle, and if you can't be there, I will have blog reports this weekend.