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Unraced filly dies after running from handlers at Los Alamitos
Orange County Dec 13, 2022
Courtesy of Jamison Riley
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Another racehorse has died at Los Alamitos Race Course, the track’s 19th horse fatality of the year.
Sugar Girl, a 2-year-old filly who had not yet competed in a race, died from an accident on Saturday, according to the California Horse Racing Board.
Sugar Girl “broke away from her handlers Saturday afternoon at Los Alamitos, jumped a fence, fell, and then died from injuries,” Mike Marten, public information officer with the CHRB, told City News Service on Tuesday.
She was scheduled to compete in Saturday’s fourth race, but was listed as a veterinarian’s scratch, according to the official race chart. Her most recent workout at Los Alamitos was Nov. 30.
So far in 2022, eight horses at the Cypress track have died from racing-related injuries, three from training injuries and another eight from “other” causes.
Earlier this year, Los Alamitos took a series of steps aimed at improving safety following a spate of four horse deaths in an 11-day span.
Eleven horses died from racing or training injuries at Los Alamitos in 2021, with another two deaths listed as “other.” The track was briefly placed on probation by the CHRB in July 2020 due to a spate of racehorse deaths. At that time, at least 20 horses had died at the track in 2020 after suffering racing or training injuries.
