Racing Catastrophic Injuries Could Lead to Vet Policy Reform

Policy reform could be ahead after a filly broke down and was not euthanized for nearly an hour.
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An incident Sept. 18 involving a filly who sustained a catastrophic injury during training at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, in Grantville, Pa., and was not euthanized for about an hour could spark policy reform among state racing commissions and racetracks.

The 4-year-old filly Langfurs Answer fractured her lower leg, stumbled, and fell to the track during training around 7:25 a.m., according to the Paulick Report. The exercise rider was thrown but uninjured. The filly’s owner Enrique Alonso Jr., son of the filly’s trainer Enrique Alonso, was watching near the gap of the racetrack and rushed to the horse after she fell. A horse ambulance arrived quickly but a veterinarian could not be found on the grounds to euthanize the filly.

"It is just a deplorable situation what that horse had to go through," Todd Mostoller, executive director of the Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HPBA), told The Blood-Horse. Mostoller said he witnessed the accident and estimated the horse was on the track for about 45 minutes before a veterinarian arrived.

"Anything beyond a couple of minutes of distress is unacceptable," he added

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Written by:

Eric Mitchell is a Editorial Director and Editor-in-Chief The Blood-Horse magazine.

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