KTLA

Training accident leads to 12th horse death at Santa Anita since Dec. 26

Race horses run on the final day of the winter/spring horse racing season at Santa Anita Park on June 23, 2019 in Arcadia, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

An accident during morning training Friday is the suspected cause of the death of a 12th horse at Santa Anita since the racing season was scheduled to begin Dec. 26.

Last Renegade, an unraced 2-year-old colt, was out for morning training when he unseated his rider. The horse was running loose and his saddle slipped backward and he bucked, causing him to get tangled up in his reins, according to the track.

During that time, he made contact with the inside safety rail. The colt was caught by an outrider and transported back to a barn. While he was being examined by a veterinarian, he died of an unknown injury. As is standard, a necropsy will be performed.

Even though the track is closed for racing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Anita is open for training and workouts in the morning. Since March 22, the last day of racing at the track, there have been 3,258 timed workouts and tens of thousands of training sessions, where horses go on the track and gallop or jog.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.