Horse euthanized at Churchill Downs after fracturing both front legs while training

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Three-year-old gelding Valley of Fire was euthanized on the track at Churchill Downs Thursday, after fracturing both front legs. The horse could be seen rearing back and falling down in pain, only to struggle back to its feet.

A screen was erected to block the view of onlookers, as Valley of Fire was administered a lethal injection.

“Gut wrenching. Absolutely gut wrenching,” Churchill Downs Equine Medical Director Will Farmer said. “The flip side of that is also we know wholeheartedly we are doing the right thing for the horse.”

This latest death of a thoroughbred comes at a time when equine fatalities threaten the future of horse racing.

The Jockey Club reported the rate of horses dying from race-related injuries hit a 16-year low in 2024. The same according to HISA, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, who counted 161 race related deaths in 2024, 15 of them on Kentucky tracks, six at Churchill Downs.

“Every time a situation like this occurs, we always do self-reflection,” Farmer said. “Let’s go back and look at our processes. If there’s things that we can improve or need to adjust. We certainly want to do that because it’s very disheartening. But at the end of the day, we have to continue forward.”

Previously, deaths of horses like Valley of Fire went uncounted among track fatalities. Exceeding the number of race-related deaths, HISA now also counts training-related fatalities.

Thirty-two died training at Kentucky tracks last year, the most of any state regulated by HISA, seven at Churchill Downs.

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