4-year-old Celebrate We Will is dead after breaking down in the 1st yesterday at Aqueduct. Replay here (Race Replays, Friday, race 1). The Bruce Levine-trained horse was being raced for the third time; in his first race back in September, he finished last of 11, 27+ lengths back.
The current meet’s (only a third of the way through) dead at the Big A:
5-year-old Summer Sunset, Oct 31, race 2 (fractured leg)
4-year-old Jesses Giant Dunk, Oct 31, race 3 (ruptured ligament)
4-year-old Knockher Off, Nov 12, race 5 (neck trauma)
9-year-old Cherokee Artist, Nov 28, race 6 (fractured leg)
4-year-old Princes On Thelake, Dec 3, race 5 (undisclosed breakdown)
3-year-old Warrior’s Hero, Dec 4, race 3 (fractured carpus)
5-year-old Half Nelson, Dec 5, race 8 (undisclosed breakdown)
7-year-old Quick Money, Dec 5, race 8 (neck trauma)
5-year-old Sage Valley, Dec 10, race 8 (apparent cardiac arrest)
5-year-old Ludo Bagman, Dec 11, race 1 (fractured sesamoids)
4-year-old Celebrate We Will, Dec 26, race 1 (fractured leg)
Patrick,
I could not see the horse breaking down. DId it happen after the race or did they remove it from the video.
Kathleen, the breakdown is recorded and visible on the video [both pan view (@1:34 and head-on @1:28)]. It appears that as the jockey switches to whipping him with her right hand and Celebrate We Will simultaneously changes to the right lead that he breaks down within the first step of the stride on that lead. On three legs he galloped toward the finish until an outrider caught him and he was vanned off in the horse ambulance to be euthanized.
Susan,
Thank you. More heartbreak on the race track.