sudden equine death

What started out as one of racing's best feel-good stories in years ended in tragedy Wednesday at Oaklawn when the fleet Iowa-bred Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) died following a four-furlong workout. Afterward, the track issued a press release in which it said that trainer Tim Martin's entries for the final week of racing at Oaklawn were being scratched by the stewards. "In the interest of all parties, Oaklawn must take these actions to properly investigate the matter," the statement read. It also said that there would be an investigation regarding...

News out of Churchill Downs last week that two of trainer Saffie Joseph Jr's horses had collapsed and died within days of each other has reignited talk around one of the most confounding--and by extension, frustrating--issues in racing: sudden equine death. More than four years ago in response to the death of GI-placed Bobby Abu Dhabi (Macho Uno)--what was initially suspected a sudden cardiac-related event--the TDN took a lengthy dive into the issue. In a nutshell, sudden cardiac deaths oftentimes leave no discernable physical sign for pathologists to piece together...