Bob Baffert has found himself in yet another controversy as one of his horses was killed on the undercard of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.
Baffert was suspended from Churchill Downs for two years following a positive drug test on Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby: The horse was eliminated, but to make matters worse, he died that December.
Trainer Havnameltown suffered an «inoperable» injury in the sixth race at Pimlico Racecourse on Saturday, with doctors opting to euthanize the horse.
PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, criticized Baffert when the tragedy occurred.
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In this May 1, 2019 file photo, trainer Bob Baffert watches his Kentucky Derby entrant Game Winner during a workout at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
«Pimlico should have followed the example of Churchill Downs and excluded Bob Baffert from the track. Baffert has been implicated in drug scandals, the deaths of seven horses that collapsed in California and at least 75 horses in his care have died.» the organization said. in a statement to Fox News Digital. «Havnameltdown’s tragic death is the latest in a long series of deaths. The racing industry must kick out the bad guys or they will have blood on their hands and blood in their footprints.»
Havnameltdown, trained by Bob Baffert, is carried off the track after being euthanized during the sixth running before the 148th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 20, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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«The loss of Havnameltdown will be felt throughout the horse racing community, and everyone at the Maryland Jockey Club and 1/ST Racing express their sincere condolences to the Havnameltdown connections,» 1/ST Racing, the owners of Pimlico Race Course .
The horse’s jockey, Luis Sáez, was hospitalized after his fall from the horse – he is stable and conscious, the Pimlico owners said.
Havnameltdown’s death comes after seven horses died of multiple reasons in the days, and even hours, leading up to the Kentucky Derby.
The field crosses the finish line during the fifth running before the 148th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 20, 2023, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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One of the horses, Wild on Ice, was scheduled to take part in the Derby on May 6, while two other horses died at Churchill Downs hours before the race was due to start.