Matanzas Creek, a 4-year-old racehorse, won a race at Santa Anita Park but was euthanized after sustaining irreparable injuries just past the finish line, marking the park’s first racing fatality in nearly a year.
– ‣ Matanzas Creek, a 4-year-old son of Empire Maker, was euthanized due to irreparable injuries sustained to his right front fetlock after winning a race at Santa Anita Park.
– ‣ The incident marks Santa Anita’s first racing fatality in 363 days, highlighting ongoing concerns about horse racing safety.
– ‣ Despite the tragedy, jockey Frankie Dettori was not seriously injured, though he chose to take off his mounts for the remainder of the afternoon.
Matanzas Creek sustained irreparable injuries to his right front fetlock. It's a heartbreaking decision to make, but he was euthanized onsite. Our hearts go out to the horse and the people who adored and cared for him. Thankfully, Frankie walked away from this tragedy.
— Tom Ryan (@TomRyanKY) March 16, 2024
Matanzas Creek, that 4-year-old prodigy of Empire Maker, dashed across the finish line first. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita Park, the kind of day that promises more than it delivers. But, oh, the twist in the tale came just about 50 yards past that wire. The crowd’s cheer turned into a collective gasp as he stumbled and fell. Tom Ryan, speaking for SF Racing, shared the grim news on Twitter not long after the race ended.
Initial buzz around the track was hopeful, misleading even. They said the colt managed to walk into the horse ambulance, a beacon of hope in a suddenly somber scene. He was whisked away to Tim Yakteen’s barn, fingers crossed for good news that never came. Frankie Dettori, the man in the saddle, luckily got off with nary a scratch. Though, shaken by the event, he stepped down from his remaining rides that day.
Ryan’s tweet laid it bare: “Matanzas Creek sustained irreparable injuries to his right front fetlock.” The decision that followed was as inevitable as it was heartbreaking. They had to say goodbye to the colt right there and then. “Our hearts go out to the horse and the people who adored and cared for him.” And yeah, Frankie walked away, but the shadow of the tragedy lingered.
It’s been almost a year since Santa Anita had to face a day as dark as this. The last time tragedy struck was March 18, 2023. A streak of safety and hope, broken. Matanzas Creek, a name born in Kentucky, carried the legacy of Betz, Burns, Kidder, Cole, D J Stables, CoCo, and the Empire Maker Syndicate. His journey was a promising one, breaking his maiden at Del Mar and showing grit in the races that followed.
The team behind him was a roster of dreams. SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, and the list goes on. Each partner shared in the highs and now, the unfathomable low.
In the end, what sticks is the tweet from Tom Ryan, a digital epitaph for a horse that ran with the wind but was caught by fate. “Matanzas Creek sustained irreparable injuries to his right front fetlock.” A simple sentence that carried the weight of a thousand words. The decision to euthanize, made onsite, was a mercy, albeit a painful one. “Our hearts go out to the horse and the people who adored and cared for him.” And amidst the heartbreak, a sliver of relief – Frankie Dettori, unharmed, walked away from the shadow of death that afternoon.
