Tacitus third
After horse deaths, many will be holding their breath during the race.
The sport has been grappling with a spate of 23 horses dying in a three-month span at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., the home track of top trainers like Baffert and Richard Mandella.
Nobody knows exactly why (some blame the racing surface, others cite medications), but the treatment of the animals — before, during and after racing — is under the harshest scrutiny in years.
The Kentucky Derby is not immune from catastrophic events. In 2008, the filly Eight Belles was euthanized after sustaining compound fractures in both front ankles after finishing second in the race.