Global Courant
Two horses were euthanized Saturday at Belmont Park, the site of the Belmont Stakes.
The first came on Saturday after the final race of the Belmont Stakes, which came immediately after the main event in which Arcangelo won the 155th running.
Excursionniste was injured and eventually euthanized, marking the death of a horse at all three Triple Crown race venues including Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby) Pimlico Race Course (Preakness Stakes).
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Arcangelo wins the 155th running of the Belmont Stakes on June 10, 2023 in Elmont, New York. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Subsequently, Mashnee Girl was euthanized on Sunday after “catastrophic injury” to the left front leg during a race at Belmont Park, according to the New York Racing Association.
It was the same injury that befell Excursionniste.
PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo issued a statement Saturday following Excursionniste’s death.
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“Racing has not been able to keep all horses alive for even one Triple Crown day this year,” she said in the statement. “Belmont Park did not do enough to prevent Excursionniste’s death. PETA urged the New York Racing Association and the New York State Gaming Commission to require CT scans for all horse races today to screen for pre-existing injuries, which are present in 90% of these fatalities. They refused.”
“The racing industry is digging its own grave – just like this horse’s.”
People gather around a giant statue of Secretariat in Belmont Park as they celebrate Secretariat’s 50th anniversary at the 2023 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on June 10, 2023. (Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
Churchill Downs suspended all races until July 3 after 12 deaths at the track this year, all of which are under investigation.
The announcement came Friday, where Bill Carstanien, CEO of Churchill Downs, said: “The Churchill Downs team is very proud of our commitment to safety and strives to set the highest standard in racing, consistently going beyond the rules and policies required.”
“What has happened at our track is deeply distressing and absolutely unacceptable. Despite our efforts to find a cause for the recent horse injuries, and although there are no issues linked to our racing surfaces or environment at Churchill Downs, we must time to thoroughly review all details and circumstances so that we can further strengthen our surface, security and integrity protocols.”
Arcangelo with Javier Castellano wins the 155th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 10, 2023 in Elmont, New York. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
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Bob Baffert’s horse Havnameltdown suffered a left front ankle injury in an undercard race before the Preakness Stakes ran, leading to euthanasia at the Maryland track.
Scott Thompson is a sportswriter for Fox News Digital.
