‘The horse is now dead – and his career should be too’: PETA sounds down on trainer Bob Baffert after his three-year-old foal Havnameltdown was euthanized after leg injury
- Baffert spoke on Saturday about his grief after the euthanasia of the young colt
- PETA has suggested that Baffert is misleading the public with his comments
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
PETA has launched a fierce rebuke against celebrated horse trainer Bob Baffert following the death of thoroughbred Havnameltdown.
The horse trained by Baffert was euthanized after going down with a fatal left leg injury before the 147th Preakness Stakes Saturday in an undercard race.
After the unfortunate event, Baffert expressed grief over the incident – amidst his National Treasure-winning Preakness.
“This business is twists and turns, ups and downs,” the Hall of Fame trainer said Saturday. “To win this – losing that horse today really hurts. … It was a very emotional day.
“When he got injured, it’s the most sickening feeling a coach can have,” said Baffert. “It put a damper on the afternoon.”
Bob Baffert’s three-year-old colt Havnameltdown was put down after a fatal injury
Baffert’s National Treasure won the Preakness Saturday giving him 17 Triple Crown wins
PETA’s Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo responded strongly to Baffert in a statement to Dailymail.com Monday.
“Bob Baffert should get an Academy Award instead of the Preakness trophy,” she said. “He acted like he had no idea on Saturday how Havnameltdown could have shattered a bone at Pimlico.
He stated, “We’ve never had a problem with him,” further suggesting that the bump to the horse out of the gate may have contributed to the injury.
“But data from California shows that in April Havnameltdown received a strong injection of corticosteroids into his leg joints, an indication of extreme pain.
“The horse is dead now—and Baffert’s career should be, too. The racing industry tolerates him at their peril.”
Baffert tweeted on Saturday that Havnameltdown had been picked out of the gate and that it may have been a factor in the eventual euthanasia of the three-year-old colt.
“We are just devastated,” read a tweet from Baffert. “This is a shock to everyone in our stable who loves and cares for these horses every day. Hanvameltdown obviously got hit pretty hard coming out of the gate.
Baffert-trained horse and favorite Havnameltdown, behind the curtain, had to be euthanized
“We don’t know if that contributed to the injury, but we will be completely transparent with those reviewing this terrible accident. At this point, our thoughts are with Luis Saez and we hope he will be fine.”
Baffert was celebrated for winning the Preakness for the eighth time, breaking a tie with 19th century trainer R. Wyndham Walden. In 2018, Baffert tied Walden with seven wins in the Baltimore race with Justify, who became the sport’s 13th Triple Crown winner – and Baffert’s second, after USA’s Pharoah ended a long drought for the sport in 2015.
This was Baffert’s first Preakness in two years due to a ban stemming from the failed drug test of 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, which led to a disqualification in that race. Medina Spirit was Baffert’s most recent Preakness horse, finishing third.
While horse racing deaths in the US are at their lowest levels since they were tracked in 2009, adding another one to the track hosting a Triple Crown race will only intensify the industry’s internal and external scrutiny. Those in it have said they accept the reality of horse deaths on the track, while also acknowledging that more work needs to be done to prevent as many as possible.