ANDERSON, Ind. -- A racehorse drowned Tuesday during a training session at the Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson.
Three-year-old Standardbred "Just Dance With Me" apparently veered left off the racetrack at 11:45 a.m. as a result of a broken bit. The horse went through the inner racetrack fence and into an infield pond.
The driver, Brett Wilfong, was unharmed.
“Our condolences go out to the Wilfong family for their loss,” said Rick Moore, Hoosier Park’s vice president and general manager of racing. “In the sport of horse racing, racehorses are very much part of the family and are cared for as such.”
Moore said the drowning was the first of its kind in 20 years at Hoosier Park.
"We will conduct a full investigation of the incident," Moore said. "Horse racing, much like any other racing sport, has its inherent risks that we must continue to keep in mind.”
