A horse has died after suffering a training injury at Los Alamitos Race Course, state horse racing officials confirmed — the third racehorse fatality in the last week at the Cypress track.
Wine Me Up, a 3-year-old colt trained by Bob Baffert, died Friday, according to the California Horse Racing Board. He had six career races and one first-place finish. His last official workout was Friday. His death is listed as “musculoskeletal,” and was pending further investigation.
Two horses died from racing injuries at Los Alamitos on Saturday night. Perky Cowgirl, a 2-year-old filly running in her third career race, collapsed to the ground and threw her jockey shortly after breaking from the gate in Saturday’s second race, requiring euthanasia.
And Midnight Huckabee, a 2-year-old gelding running his fourth race, “immediately died from injuries sustained when he fell during the running of the 12th race Saturday at Los Alamitos,” CHRB spokesman Mike Marten told City News Service.
Thirteen horses have died from racing or training injuries at Los Alamitos this year, according to the CHRB.
The Cypress track is also dealing with an outbreak of Equine Infectious Anemia, a potentially fatal infectious disease.
Seven horses at Los Alamitos have been euthanized with EIA since Sept. 24. Biosecurity measures have been put in place at the track, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture is overseeing the situation.