It wasn’t in a race.
But it has shocked the racing community the world over.
An unnamed, unraced 2YO by American Pharaoh had just been saddled to do his breeze-up for the annual Fasig-Tipton Sale. He carried a Hip 47 sticker on his hindquarters.
His rider was legged up and out on the track he trotted. However, moments later horror struck.
He shied at something, reared a little, tossed his rider and in a panic just bolted up the track.
For reasons no-one will ever know, he turned and ran straight into the running rail, heading towards the infield lake at Gulfstream Park.
He got there but at a terrible cost.
The injuries he received when smashing through the rail started to take their toll and as he lept into the lake to calm himself, he got disoriented and thrashed around in the water.
Shortly afterwards he drowned.
A spokesman for the Fasig-Tipton sale said, “the incident occurred before the horse breezed. After he dropped his rider and crashed through the fence, he suffered catastrophic injury.
“I don’t know of anything that could have been done to prevent this accident.”
