Mongolian Groom (Hightail) was euthanized Saturday after suffering a serious fracture to his left hind leg. According to a release from Breeders' Cup Limited, Mongolian Groom was attended to by veterinarians who deemed the injuries caused irreparable damage and the decision was taken to euthanize.
“The death of Mongolian Groom is a loss to the entire horse racing community. Our equine and human athletes' safety is the Breeders' Cup's top priority,” BCL said in its releases. “We have worked closely with Santa Anita leading up to the World Championships to promote enhanced equine safety. Santa Anita has implemented numerous industry-leading reforms to enhance the existing health and safety measures with the intent of providing a safe racing environment. In addition, Breeders' Cup always observes the most thorough up-to-date medication practices and restrictions, testing protocols, equine security and surveillance program, veterinary exams, injury management protocols and racing surface testing. These measures are in place to ensure our athletes are racing under the safest and most transparent conditions possible.
“Breeders' Cup has engaged world-renowned veterinarian, Dr. Larry Bramlage, to conduct an independent evaluation, the results of which will be published when completed. We will continue to keep all stakeholders apprised as information becomes available. We are committed to working with our partners in the industry to continue to advance safety reforms, with the well-being of our athletes in mind.”
Mongolian Groom earned his way into the Classic with a defeat of McKinzie (Street Sense) in the GI Awesome Again S. He won three of 17 career starts for earnings of $579,141.
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