Worst Spill You've Seen

[_ed_]

Some horrible stories here.

The worst I saw was a G1 winner, a gelding called Cent Home. He broke a leg with a furlong to go, but wanted to catch up with the rest of the field with his leg flapping horribly. One of my favourite horses won the race but I didn't care, was too busy trying to keep myself from crying as the rider tried desperately to pull him up.

One of the images of that day that lives on in my mind is the jockey crouching on the ground where he dismounted with his face in his hands.

The worst thing was that the owner said the day before the race that it would be his last race before he had a nice well-deserved retirement.

[IrishofNDMan]

I haven't seen too many since i started following horse racing (which I am very glad about) but the one Johny V was involved with a year ago before the derby on Octave or Up an Octave was pretty hard for me to watch, made me feel pretty bad. I can't believe that people at the track actually wish for a horse to breakdown just so they can win their bet, pretty sad when you hear a guy saying "break a leg, come on, breakdown" pathetic!

[Riot]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

It really is about the horses, and that fans can find a reason to fall in love with a measly 3200N3L claimer speaks volumes about our game and the fans.

Amen to that.

For some reason Snack sticks in my mind. This was in the 2005 Santa Catalina (now the Bob Lewis stakes). Snack was a crazy closer who had tore up the fields at Hoosier Park or whatever it is in Indiana. Would close from way way back. Paul Reddam purchased him and a few weeks later he was running in the Santa Catalina. I had never seen him run but had heard about him and he sounded fascinating. Was in his usual last position on the back stretch when he broke both front ankles or at least that's what they said. You could see him go down in the video but they cut away real fast. He was probably euthanized on the track but the ESPN guys didnt say for sure or maybe they didnt know. I think Declans Moon won the race before his season ended with the bone chip..

[Alan07]

Originally Posted by easy goer

For some reason Snack sticks in my mind. This was in the 2005 Santa Catalina (now the Bob Lewis stakes). Snack was a crazy closer who had tore up the fields at Hoosier Park or whatever it is in Indiana. Would close from way way back. Paul Reddam purchased him and a few weeks later he was running in the Santa Catalina. I had never seen him run but had heard about him and he sounded fascinating. Was in his usual last position on the back stretch when he broke both front ankles or at least that's what they said. You could see him go down in the video but they cut away real fast. He was probably euthanized on the track but the ESPN guys didnt say for sure or maybe they didnt know. I think Declans Moon won the race before his season ended with the bone chip..

The race aired on ABC

[todko]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

Amen.


There was one at River Downs last spring...last race of the afternoon. On a Friday. An otherwise beautiful day. He was at the low end of the food chain...3200-5000 claimer. On paper, not much talent to speak of. Maybe his 2nd or 3rd race ever. 3 or 4 yo. Grey. Still remember that grey mane. Right in front of the grandstand and I was on the outside rail. Maybe 20 yards directly in front of me. I felt the “thud” as much as I heard it. Seemed like forever before the medical team even knew what was going on. People screaming. “Where’s the help!?!” Women and children bawlin’. Men trying to be men with that glassy-eyed, concerned stare. Both horse and jock just layin’ there motionless. ****, what took them so long…I’ll never understand that. Finally, they got the jock strapped on a board and off to the hospital. They couldn't get the horse in the equine ambulance...tried draggin him in with the winch. He fought it. Barely budged. Couldn’t stand up on his own no matter how hard he tried. Broken femur or hip. Somehow they finally got him up…but he couldn’t stand on his own. About six guys helped him stay upright. Out came the tarps. Damn. Right after the injection, he bucked hard and crashed to the ground. Poor bastard. His once beautiful grey mane got all wet and muddy as they dragged his body into the equine ambulance. That was hard…

I was there that day. They butchered that "ambulance run". The guy next to me called them "farm hands". Appropriate description. They brought the water truck and hosed the horse off, one of the gate workers must have diagnosed heat exhaustion. Then they tried to drag him to his feet. By the halter first. The vet was nowhere to be found. It was pathetic.

Before they killed the horse they finally surmised it was a broken shoulder. That's why the horse couldn't get up. The horse thrashed forever. The nitwits were practically torturing that horse.

You're right. Little kids were crying and screaming. I remember a little girl on her dad's shoulders begging her dad to make them "stop hurting the horse".

I damn near starting crying too . . . it was very bad.

[todko]

Originally Posted by easy goer

For some reason Snack sticks in my mind. This was in the 2005 Santa Catalina (now the Bob Lewis stakes). Snack was a crazy closer who had tore up the fields at Hoosier Park or whatever it is in Indiana. Would close from way way back. Paul Reddam purchased him and a few weeks later he was running in the Santa Catalina. I had never seen him run but had heard about him and he sounded fascinating. Was in his usual last position on the back stretch when he broke both front ankles or at least that's what they said. You could see him go down in the video but they cut away real fast. He was probably euthanized on the track but the ESPN guys didnt say for sure or maybe they didnt know. I think Declans Moon won the race before his season ended with the bone chip..

Snack was at Turfway Park too. Don't remember him running at Hoosier but he might have. Very nice horse. Showed a lot of promise. Heading toward the Derby trail if I remember. You could barely catch him going down in the video. You knew immediately it was catastrophic.

[estreetposse]

I saw it mentioned elsehwere I don't think any horses were put down...but opening day a couple of years ago Saratoga...1st race Jumpers I think nine started and only 2 or 3 finished wasn't pretty by any means. Of course either was our group at the end of the day!!!

[slotdirt]

I was there for the A Huevo situation in 2005, but we don't need to rehash that. Terrible, terrible situation for a 9YO gelding.

The year prior, I can't remember the horse's name, but there was a horse who seized up coming down the stretch at Charles Town in the WV Breeders Classic. It looked awful, but then the vet was on the scene and realized what it was, allowed the poor guy to regain his senses, he got up and walked away under his own power. Very scary situation.

[munster705]

The reason why I started this post was to hear some of the stories that we have read in this thread. To anyone who misinterpreted this as an attempt to disgust people, please accept my sincerest apologies

[KirisClown]

Spook Express belongs in here too...

[jmj934]

We were in Ruidoso last fall for the all-american futurity, and they had a thoroughbred race on the undercard and a horse broke down right by the wire and it just layed there kicking and bawling. Finally, the ambulance came and whenever they went to give him the needle, the people with the tarp moved, so the entire grandstand could see the horse buck, kick and then fall to the ground. I have no idea why they moved the tarp. That was a awful sight to such a good day.

[pdrift1]

pine islands wasn't pretty either rip

[pdrift1]

i for the life of me can't remember the race or horse anymore but does anyone remember back to smarty jones preakness on the the undercard, i believe one of the stakes. a horse that went down and got back up and was just standing there with its poor leg. thats thw worst ive seen after a spill. its like get the damn tv off the horse. very upsetting

[sundaysilenceforever]

Hendrix was really bad, but we've talked about that already when it happened.
I prefer to remember him for the sweet boy and kind soul he appeared to be.

When I was a kid, about 11 or 12, I was in the truck with my mom driving up to the paddock. On that road to the paddock, was the "dead box". For those who might not know what that is, it is a 3 sided "stall" with high walls, where they would put horses who had broke down until the rendering guys could come take away the bodies. My mom would tell me beforehand if there was a horse in there so that I could hide my face. On this particular occassion, she forgot, and I saw a horse in there with a chunk of the rail entering the chest, and all the way thru, exiting toward the rear of one side. It was horrifying. My mom told me that the horse hit the rail and it came down, but was unable to veer out before hitting the end of the still standing portion of it. I like to think he died instantly. Of course, this was back in the days where the rails were far less safe.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by easy goer

For some reason Snack sticks in my mind. This was in the 2005 Santa Catalina (now the Bob Lewis stakes). Snack was a crazy closer who had tore up the fields at Hoosier Park or whatever it is in Indiana. Would close from way way back. Paul Reddam purchased him and a few weeks later he was running in the Santa Catalina. I had never seen him run but had heard about him and he sounded fascinating. Was in his usual last position on the back stretch when he broke both front ankles or at least that's what they said. You could see him go down in the video but they cut away real fast. He was probably euthanized on the track but the ESPN guys didnt say for sure or maybe they didnt know. I think Declans Moon won the race before his season ended with the bone chip..

I was there that day. I'll never forget that.Still have my win ticket for him.

I don't usually save things like that, but.....

As far as the original question, I just can't answer that. Breaks my heart to remember.....

All i can say though is that they're all special. I've seen brilliance in claimers and champions alike. They're all special.

[disappearingdan_akaplaya]

all of them are bad. the worst for me tho happened a few years ago on the last day of the spring meet@pimlico. my friend ashton fitzpatrick was trampled by a couple and she got hurt pretty bad but it definately coulda been much worse.


1 local spill i saw that was pretty horiffic was the one that ended abner sorrows' riding career

[tiznowthegreat]

Originally Posted by todko

I was there that day. They butchered that "ambulance run". The guy next to me called them "farm hands". Appropriate description. They brought the water truck and hosed the horse off, one of the gate workers must have diagnosed heat exhaustion. Then they tried to drag him to his feet. By the halter first. The vet was nowhere to be found. It was pathetic.

Before they killed the horse they finally surmised it was a broken shoulder. That's why the horse couldn't get up. The horse thrashed forever. The nitwits were practically torturing that horse.

You're right. Little kids were crying and screaming. I remember a little girl on her dad's shoulders begging her dad to make them "stop hurting the horse".

I damn near starting crying too . . . it was very bad.

I was there that day as well and it was bad. It was a Friday afternoon and for people who don't go to RD that much, there's always a bunch of little kids sitting right on the rail so that made it that much worse. The vet at RD is a joke to me. About a month ago, Perry Outzs took his horse over to the vet during the post parade and told him that he had a limper. The vet just said ," you take that up with the owner."

Didn't Snack win the WEBN at Turfway?

On a more positive note, how great of a feeling is it when a horse goes down and you think oh ****..... then he just gets up a starts running and everything is fine!