12th horse dead: Kimberly Dream euthanized after unrecoverable injury

Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, Louisville Courier Journal
Updated ·2 min read
5

Kimberley Dream was euthanized Saturday after suffering an unrecoverable injury to her left front leg, making her the 12th horse to die on Churchill Downs since the stables reopened for training on March 30, Tonya Abeln, a spokesperson for Churchill Downs said Saturday evening.

Kimberly Dream suffered a similar injury to Lost in Limbo, who had to be euthanized Friday.

Dr. Will Farmer, the equine medical director for Churchill Downs, confirmed Lost in Limbo "significantly injured his left front leg near the finish of Friday’s seventh race," Darren Rogers, spokesperson for Churchill Downs, said early Saturday.

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"It is with absolute dismay and sorrow that we report this highly unusual statistic. Our team members mourn the loss of these animals as we continue to work together to discover the cause and determine appropriate investments to minimize, to the degree possible, any avoidable risk in this sport and on our property," Abeln said.

Rogers previously said they have not detected any "discernable" patterns in the latest injuries horses have sustained.

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Rogers said Dr. Mick Peterson, director of the Ag Equine Programs at the University of Kentucky's Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, analyzed and researched the track on Tuesday and they are still waiting for the results. Peterson and his team conducted engineering analysis in April, ahead of the Kentucky Derby and the results "were consistent with previous testing."

Earlier this month, 16 members of Congress called for transparency from the Kentucky-based Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and asked for the necropsy results of the dead horses to be publicized. Rogers said Churchill Downs is still waiting for the necropsies of the horses, which have been transported to the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostics Lab.

The latest horse to be euthanized was Swanson Lake, a 3-year-old filly trained by Michael McCarthy, who also suffered a leg injury.

Rogers said the Kentucky-based Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission are conducting investigations.

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Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 12th horse dies at Churchill Downs since stables opened in March 30