TRAGEDY struck in a Grade 1 race at Saratoga on Saturday when hot favourite New York Thunder suffered a fatal injury in the home straight when leading the field in the Jerkens Memorial.

It was the seventh equine death at Saratoga this summer from 324 races.

Owned by Amo Racing, New York Thunder was a son of Nyquist and had won a Grade 2 race by over seven lengths a month earlier. The Allen Jerkens, a seven-furlong dirt race for three-year-olds, was won by outsider One In Vermillion.

Qatar Racing loss

Most fatalities have happened in dirt races but there was a death in a turf race at Saratoga last Saturday when Qatar Racing’s Nobel broke a leg shortly after finishing fifth.

By Lope De Vega, Nobel was trained by Andrew Balding when finishing fourth in the John Smith’s Cup at York in July and last Saturday was his first start in the States for trainer Brendan Walsh. He cost 825,000gns as a yearling.

“NYRA is continuing to investigate these catastrophic injuries with HISA officials, the New York State Gaming Commission, and the New York State Equine Medical Director,” NYRA president and CEO Dave O’Rourke said in a statement.

“We will immediately consult with HISA’s Track Surface Advisory Group to further examine the overall condition of all three racing surfaces at Saratoga prior to Sunday’s programme. In addition, NYRA will convene a group of relevant outside experts to evaluate our current safety protocols and procedures.”