BALTIMORE — It’s the Thursday earlymorning priorto the Preakness, and the stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course is filled with media and coffee and fans attempting their finest to get a image of their preferred horse.
For a minute, Dr. Dionne Benson is the center of attention as she takesalookat anumberof Preakness Stakes competitors, rubbing their leg joints, looking for indications of swelling or discomfort. Then she enjoys as the horse briefly jogs, making notes on a clipboard.
“We have to make sure they’re running even and smooth and not preferring one leg or the other,” Benson stated.
Benson is the chief vet for 1/ST Racing, which owns Pimlico and numerous other racetracks throughout the nation. Benson and other vets have the supreme state on whether a horse is noise sufficient to contend on the racetrack, an problem that’s been as popular as mint juleps and black-eyed Susans this Triple Crown season.
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Just hours priorto the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs, morning-line favorite Forte was scratched — much to the discouragement of fitnessinstructor Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole — by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission vet Nick Smith duetothefactthat of issues about a bruised right front foot.
On Friday, First Mission — 2nd option in the earlymorning line for the Preakness and experienced by Louisville’s Brad Cox — was scratched by his owner Godolphin after assessment with Benson and her 1/ST veterinary group.
Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin, stated there were issues about First Mission’s left hind. Cox was not rightaway offered for remark.
“Working with the fitnessinstructor and the connections,” Benson stated, “they were right on board with what our issues were.”
How much the scratches are associated to the current string of horse deaths at Churchill Downs is up for argument. Starting with Kentucky Derby confident Wild On Ice on April 27, 8 horses have passedaway or been euthanized after training or racing at Churchill Downs.
Benson stated issues about thoroughbreds’ strength priorto a race is “not a current phenomenon.”
“I see any injury to a horse as a individual failure on my part,” Benson stated. “I marvel what I did incorrect. Could I have avoided it? It is our task to enhance horse security and make the horses as safe as possible.”
‘There is some over care’
But are vets being too careful?
That was the concern presented by Shug McGaughey, the veteran fitnessinstructor of Preakness competitor Perform. His horse, Talk of the Nation, was scratched by a vet simply minutes priorto going to the gate for the Grade 2 American Turf on the Kentucky Derby undercard.
McGaughey stated jockey Tyler Gaffalione pleaded with the veterinarian not to scratch the horse.
“I think that, that was really much overkill,” McGaughey stated.
“I think there is some over care. I believe it’s exaggerated a little bit. I believe there’s mostlikely a significant quantity of pressure on these regulative veterinarians to shot to make the right choice … however I do believe that they requirement to kind of go into it with more eyes open than possibly they are.”
McGaughey called the horse deaths at Churchill Downs “very worrying” and keptinmind there were 3 others throughout Keeneland’s Spring Meet.
“It made (11) deaths that we understand about in a month, and that’s too numerous,” McGaughey stated. “I wear’t believe it’s anything we must keep in the closet. I believe we requirement to be really transparent about what’s going on.”
Before his horse was scratched Friday, Cox stated public understanding is a issue for the market.
“Someone that doesn’t truly understand much about the sport that’s looking, it is a issue of what the understanding is of how it looks,” Cox stated.
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More scratches going forward?
While most of the deaths have come following on-track injuries, fitnessinstructor Saffie Joseph Jr. had 2 horses collapse and die on the track at Churchill Downs on the days leading into the Kentucky Derby.
Joseph stated the deaths were not injury associated and is waiting on necropsy reports to expose the possible triggers of death. In light of the 2 deaths, Churchi