The 2025 summer meet at Saratoga got off to a blistering start with newcomers announcing their arrivals with big wins. Even Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers’ owner, Vincent Viola, got in on the action. His horse Noble Confessor won its Maiden Special Weight race. Yet, despite all the triumphs and impressive performances, tragedy struck the horse racing fraternity during the Grade 3 Lake George on July 26.

Michael J. Maker trained three-year-old Aterradora gave a decent performance, finishing fifth in the Lake George, but jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. sensed something was wrong during the race. “Aterradora was pulled up in the gallop out of the Lake George @TheNYRA by jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. Per NYRA Veterinary Department,” NYRA PR’s Keith-TripleDeadHeat posted on X.

“The horse was not moving well, no obvious injury, and was transported back to the barn via equine ambulance for further evaluation,” he added to the post. Unfortunately, further evaluation painted a grim picture that would ultimately lead to the horse’s demise on July 28. So how did it get so bad? The NYRA update explained the tragic sequence of events.

The initial radiograph results at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital revealed “a slab fracture” in the right knee. So, the vets followed up with a CT scan to plan for the surgery. Unfortunately, during surgery, that injury turned out to be “more severe and complicated” than the scan showed. “Upon the recommendation of attending veterinarians, Aterradora was humanely euthanized,” the NYRA wrote in their update.

Aterradora’s demise was shocking to say the least, as the three-year-old made seven starts this year. In fact, Equibase states that the horse won his Maiden Special Weight as recently as February at the Fair Grounds. What’s more? The horse did get some rest before arriving at Saratoga for the George Lake after finishing 4th twice at Churchill Downs. However, Aterradora wasn’t the only tragedy.

Another loss at Saratoga

The New York race course successful week of races during the Triple Crown’s last stop, the Belmont Stakes. However, tragedy has already struck more than once since the summer meet started on July 10. In fact, a two-year-old who showed signs of a bright future met his demise while training at the race course. In a cruel twist of fate, the son of Bolt d’Oro also died on July 28.

“It is with deep sadness that our stable confirms that Dazzle d’Oro sustained a catastrophic injury this morning during training,” Trainer Tom Amoss shared on X. “He received immediate attention and was sent to Rood & Riddle Equine hospital a mile away from the race track,” he added. Yet, just like Aterradora, further evaluation left them no option.

The trainer explained they had no “humane alternative” and had to euthanize the horse. “Everyone in our barn feels a deep loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with the owners and all who worked with him,” Amoss added. Dazzle d’Oro showed serious potential during his debut at Churchill Downs on June 29, winning the race by three lengths.

And if you thought these were the only two fatalities since July 10, you’d be wrong. The official press release also mentioned the demise of National Secret, bringing the toll to three. No equestrian fan wants to hear about the death of a horse, and hopefully, this was the last of the bad news.

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