Kentucky Derby races on amid 7th death, scratched favorite

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Two more horses died, making it seven in all, before the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, and early favorite Forte was scratched with an injury in another series of blows to a sport already reeling from doping suspensions and breakdowns.

“This is part of racing and it’s the cruel part,” Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte, said in an interview with FanDuel TV.

Chloe’s Dream, a 3-year-old gelding, and Freezing Point, a 3-year-old colt, were injured in their races on the Derby undercard, becoming the sixth and seventh horses to have died at Churchill Downs in recent days. Forte was the fifth scratch from the Derby in the run-up to the $3 million race for 3-year-olds.

The string of horse deaths cast a pall for some Derby-goers on a mostly cloudy and warm day.

"It’s concerning, and I hope they’re quickly trying the best they can to correct whatever’s going on,” said Michael Freeze, who along with his friend dressed up as jockeys. “They need to do whatever is best for the horses, and the sport in general.”

Chloe's Dream got hurt in the second race Saturday. The horse was taken off in an equine ambulance with a right front knee injury and was euthanized, trainer Jeff Hiles confirmed to The Associated Press.

“He just took a bad step out there,” Hiles said. "They could do the same thing running in the field as they could on the track. So it’s very unfortunate. That’s what we deal with.”

Freezing Point suff...