Outrage as Maple Leaf Mel – the horse of legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells – suffers a catastrophic leg injury mere feet from the finish line in a $500,000 race in Saratoga…before being euthanized by on-site vets

Horse racing mourns the shocking death of Maple Leaf Mel, Bill Parcells’ filly who was euthanized after suffering a catastrophic leg injury just yards from the finish line of a $500,000 race in Saratoga Springs on Saturday.

The horse led the field and appeared confident of crossing the finish line victorious, before his leg gave way and jockey Joel Rosario came out of his seat, who was taken to hospital for an examination and required stitches for facial abrasions .

Veterinarians on the scene attended to Maple Leaf Mel, but she was euthanized due to the severity of the injury, the New York Racing Association said.

Some viewers expressed outrage on social media, with one urging, “We should ban horse racing.”

Another added: ‘Let those beautiful animals live in peace. RIP Maple Leaf Mel.’

WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT

Just yards from the finish, the filly, owned by Bill Parcells, suffered a catastrophic leg injury

Maple Leaf Mel then stood up, but was later euthanized by on-site vets due to the leg injury

Maple Leaf Mel, trained by Melanie Giddings, was 5-0 in her career. She was owned by August Dawn Farm, which included Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Parcells, who watched the race on the track.

Maple Leaf Mel passed the required pre-race veterinary inspection, NYRA said.

A required necropsy will be performed at Cornell University and the results will be analyzed by officials from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, the New York State Equine Medical Director and NYRA leadership.

Pretty Mischievous won the test with a lead after closing out from fifth at the top of the stretch as the 9-5 favourite.

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione said, “I feel so bad for Mel’s connections. It’s hard to enjoy this when you think about it. My condolences go out to their team. Hopefully they’ll get through this and God bless them.”

The incident is just the latest in a string of tragic horse deaths in the sport this year, and has sparked calls for it to be banned.

As many as 12 horses have died in Churchill Downs since April, and officials have yet to identify a match between the deaths.

Following the recent spate of deaths, the track made the decision to suspend all races there in June, moving the 2023 Spring Meet to Ellis Park instead.

Churchill Downs suspended racing activities for the remainder of the Spring Meet in June

Seven horses died before the Kentucky Derby held in Louisville on May 6

However, PETA accused the track of playing “Russian roulette” with the horses’ lives after that move.

“We are relieved that racing has been suspended, which PETA has been calling for since May 2, but Churchill Downs should not be allowed to play Russian roulette with the lives of these horses by simply moving the problem elsewhere,” the animal rights organization said in a statement. to Mail Sport in June.

“Putting the bullet in another room can have the same fatal outcome. We are frustrated with the racing industry’s refusal to implement technology that has been scientifically and statistically proven to save lives.

“Until racetracks install synthetic surfaces and use CT scanning equipment to detect injuries, among other things, they can’t pretend to be mystified by fatalities.”