With Two of His Horses Dropping Dead, Churchill Downs is Right to Not Allow Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. to Run Lord Miles and Any Other Horses in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby
Louisville, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action this morning had urged the management at Churchill Downs to deny a Kentucky Derby racing slot to Saffie Joseph Jr. because two of his horses — Parents Pride and Chasing Artie — died for unexplained reasons this week in the run-up to the Kentucky Derby.
Late this afternoon the Kentucky Racing Commission and Churchill Downs took proper and appropriate action and scratched all horses trained by Joseph Jr. for the competition.
Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action has issued this statement:
“We commend the Kentucky racing officials for suspending Saffie Joseph Jr. for the inexplicable deaths of horses under his care. It will now be up to leaders in the horse racing industry to address the wider set of risk factors that are causing far too many deaths in racing. Racetracks are turning into crash sites.”
Lord Miles, trained by Joseph Jr., was slated to run in the 149th Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby on May 6.
Four deaths at Churchill Downs add to the total of 7,200 horses nationwide who have died owing to race injuries between 2009-2021, according to a database kept by the Jockey Club.
Last week, the FTC extended the deadline for race-day anti-doping standards to go into effect for Thoroughbred racing. In announcing the alarming move, the agency admitted to moving the deadline to prevent it from taking effect before the Triple Crown begins. Congress passed the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act in December 2020, and Congress amended the law to safeguard its provisions from a constitutional challenge in December 2022.