Churchill Downs Horse Deaths Reach 7 Ahead of 2023 Kentucky Derby

The buildup to the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday has been mired by tragedy.

According to ESPN, two more horses were euthanized after suffering racing injuries on Saturday, bringing this week's total of deaths among horses to seven.

During Saturday's second race, three-year-old Chloe's Dream was injured while leaving the first turn.

"He just took a bad step out there," trainer Jeff Hiles said. "They could do the same thing running in the field as they could on the track. So it's very unfortunate. That's what we deal with."

Later during the eighth race of the day, Freezing Point suffered an injury to his left front leg that led to him being taken off the track in an equine ambulance and euthanized.

In addition to the horrific string of deaths, Kentucky Derby favorite Forte was scratched because of a foot injury. The horse is on a five-race win streak and was listed with 4-1 odds before he was scratched.

Following the death of Chloe's Dream, PETA released a statement criticizing Churchill Downs for not adhering to previous warnings:

"The pre-Derby death toll is still mounting. It's now six and counting. Although PETA appreciates that the Kentucky state veterinarian exercised caution by scratching the Derby favorite, we called for the closure of the track so stronger protocols could be put in place. Churchill Downs should have listened."

In total, five horses have been scratched from the Kentucky Derby, the most since 1936. The 18-horse field will be the smallest since 2020, when the Derby was run with just 15 horses in September because of the COVID-19 pandemic.