A 3-year-old filly was euthanized after fracturing her left front ankle during the fifth race at Santa Anita Park. Scat's Choice was triaged on the main track by track veterinarians and a diagnostic examination determined that it was an unrecoverable injury, Santa Anita reported Saturday.
The injury occurred between a quarter-mile and half-mile into the six- furlong claiming race on the main track Saturday. Scat's Choice was second in the field of seven at the quarter-mile mark.
Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux was thrown from the filly, complained of hip pain and was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena for further evaluation. The death was the third during the track's winter/spring meeting.
Cali Caliente, a 5-year-old gelding, died of a “presumed cardiac event” while light jogging during training hours Jan. 9, a California Horse Racing Board spokesman said.
The 2-year-old colt Ebeko, who ran in the Breeders' Cup, sustained an injury to his left front leg during the $75,000-added Eddie Logan Stakes Dec. 27 and was euthanized a short time later.
Santa Anita had no racing or training fatalities during its 16-day autumn meet, which concluded Oct. 25. Sixteen horses died in racing or training- related incidents during Santa Anita's 2019-20 winter/spring meet, which ended June 21.
Scat's Choice made 10 starts, winning once, a maiden special weight race at Belterra Park in Cincinnati on July 10, and finished second twice with career earnings of $29,998. Her last race before Saturday was a six-furlong allowance race at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Youngstown, Ohio, where she finished fifth in a field of six.
