First Racing Fatality Of Saratoga Season Mars Saranac Stakes

[Wandering Eyes]

In the GIII Saranac Stakes for 3-year-olds over the grass at Saratoga on Friday afternoon, West Hollywood (Uncle Mo) was the winner, but the race was marred by the first racing fatality of the summer season as The Big Torpedo (Big Brown) had to euthanized on the track, according to details provided by a release from NYRA.

Owned by Thomas Albrecht, Vincent Fusaro and James Klein, The Big Torpedo (#5) sustained a catastrophic injury to his left front leg in the stretch run of Race 6. Despite the immediate response of on-site veterinarians, the Thomas Morley trainee was humanely euthanized due to the severity of the injury. The chestnut colt is the only horse to sustain a catastrophic injury during racing at the 2024 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which opened July 11 and has featured 2,879 horses starting in 369 races to date.

As for The Big Torpedo's jockey Eric Cancel who was unseated, he was not injured.

In the statement, NYRA also said that the incident caused #3 Take Me To Church (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) to alter course unseating Javier Castellano, who is being transported to Albany Medical Center for further evaluation. Castellano is awake and alert. It went on to state that the Brad Cox trainee, who sustained minor cuts and scrapes, was apprehended by the outrider and returned to the barn area via equine ambulance.

Flurry Racing's Staton Flurry said in a post on X about his colt, “Take Me To Church is back at the barn with a few scrapes but seems okay. My thoughts and prayers are with Javier Castellano and the Morley barn.”

By winning the Saranac, West Hollywood's Flavien Prat set the Saratoga meet record with his 16th stakes victory. Since this was his 12th graded win, he ties the mark set by Joel Rosario in 2022.

Friday, Saratoga
SARANAC S.-GIII, $162,750, Saratoga, 8-30, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.89, fm.
1–WEST HOLLYWOOD, 118, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
                1st Dam: White Hot (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Gwynn (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
                3rd Dam: Victoress, by Conquistador Cielo
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($775,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Qatar Racing; B-B. Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $251,794. *1/2 to Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), GISW-USA, GISP-Can, $792,947. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Yo Daddy, 118, c, 3, Yoshida (Jpn)–Elle Stormin', by Tale of the Cat. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($29,000 RNA 2yo '23 OBSOPN). O-Winning Move Stable; B-Big Chief Racing LLC & Rocker O Ranch LLC (KY); T-Linda Rice. $35,000.
3–The Process, 118, c, 3, More Than Ready–Eblouissante, by Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($375,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Belladonna Racing, LLC, Twin Brook Stables, Nice Guys Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Iapetus Racing, Hornstock, Runnels Racing, Perrine Time Thoroughbreds, RTR Stables, Peppermint Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock, Ingordo and Lucky Hat Racing LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $21,000.
Margins: 5HF, 2 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.35, 5.30, 6.70.
Also Ran: Villain, Take Me To Church (Ire), The Big Torpedo. Scratched: Proprietary Trade.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

Take Me To Church is back at the barn with a few scrapes but seems ok. My thoughts and prayers are with Javier Castellano and the Morley barn. pic.twitter.com/jd2i2SSnmc

— Staton Flurry (@StatonFlurry) August 30, 2024

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