With Kentucky Derby just a week shy, jockeys started preparing their geldings for the most anticipated event of the year. However, for the three-year-old thoroughbred, Wild on Ice, the practice session turned out to be fatal. The Sunland Derby winner, Wild on Ice, was euthanized on Thursday morning after he got severely injured during the workout drill at Churchill Downs.  

Wild on Ice was due to be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Ken Tohill who aged 60 was set to become the oldest jockey to ride one of the most elite races. Nonetheless, the Texas-bred and the jockey on the mount, Ken Tohill, were all set to bag another big win at the Churchill Downs racetrack when things went downhill.

A training session claimed the life of Wild on Ice

It was 6 am. On 27th April 2023, the three-year-old Texas-bred breezed five furlongs in 1 minute, 1.40 seconds when his left hind leg got injured in the process. He was then pulled up by Jockey Ken Tohill while the thoroughbred was galloping on the backstretch. 

The gelding was evaluated at the Churchill Downs Equine Medical Center and was subsequently transported to Lexington to the equine surgical facility for further medical treatment. However, Wild on Ice was later euthanized due to his degrading hind injury condition. The owner of the horse, Frank Sumpter, said he “couldn’t be saved.”

Talking to El Paso Times, Sumpter expressed his agony, “When you’ve got an injury in a joint like that and it’s in their back legs, it’s tough because they have to use so much to stand up in their back legs. So, yeah, it’s a tough, tough deal to make these hard decisions.” 

Wild on Ice, the three-year-old Texas bred had been clinching accolades ever since he set foot in the equestrian ring. From winning the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico to becoming the qualifying thoroughbred for the 149th Kentucky Derby, Wild on Ice had covered it all. Nonetheless, the gruesome news left the social media cult utterly heartbroken.

Sports fraternity left saddened by the tragic loss of Wild on Ice, days before the Kentucky Derby

Recently, media house WLKY shared the dreadful news of Wild on Ice’s demise through its Facebook handle. Captioning the post, WLKY penned, “Wild On Ice has been euthanized. The horse was injured during a morning workout at Churchill Downs ahead of the Kentucky Derby”. Now, to express their heartfelt eulogies for the deceased gelding, fans flocked to the comment section and wrote…

“This is just so sad ! Why glorify a sport that puts their lives at risk”

“This is heartbreaking. I’m done with horse racing. I’ve felt this way for a long, long time. Sickening”

“So heartbreaking, those poor horses”

Some even expressed their disregard for horse breeding by writing, “It is past time to stop breeding just for speed, and return to the bone structure of the greats like Man O’ War, and many others, who had the bone structure, muscle mass, etc., that allowed them to race stronger and stay sound in longer careers”.

One fan even asked for the reason behind the gelding’s euthanization and added, “All we get is “too severe had to be put down”. That’s my issue with this. Maybe if you have to euthanize a Ky Derby caliber house, let us know what was so severe. This generic explanation leaves too much room for speculation”.

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While some expressed their concerns regarding the pre-workout regime, others paid their heartfelt tributes to the horse. It indeed was one heartbreaking episode. 

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