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Tea Daily Racing Form reported Saturday That Odanis Acuna, a veteran exercise rider for Lexington trainer Kenny McPeek, sustained fatal injuries early Sunday at Churchill Downs "when the horse was breezing before dawn broke down in both front legs."
Churchill Downs officials said in a statement Saturday that the accident occurred at approximately 5:45 am when Acuna was breezing unraced 2-year-old New York Harbor. Nearing completion of the workout, the colt and Acuna suddenly fell to a sixteenth of a mile before the finish line when New York Harbor "endured catastrophic injuries," the statement said.
Acuna believe he died immediately, the statement said.
"Today is a somber day," Churchill Downs President Racetrack Kevin Flanery said in the statement. "We extend our deepest sympathy to Odanis" family, friends, colleagues and the entire team at trainer Kenny McPeek's barn. Our hearts are in this difficult time of extreme sorrow. "
Acuna was known to his racetrack friends as "Cuba" -which was his native homeland.
"Odanis was one of the hardest working guys you'd ever meet; he was working the American dream, "McPeek, who employed Acuna for nearly a decade, said in the statement.
"He galloped for me in the morning and worked for the feed company in the afternoon."
"He was just a wonderful, wonderful person," said Sherry Stanley, Executive Director of the Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs. "His entire life was focused on bringing his wife and three sons from Cuba to here in Kentucky. He was just about to finish the process of purchasing a home and paperwork to get them green cards. "He was the hardest worker. I know everyone always says that this guy was unbelievable. He worked as an exercise rider and went running the gates after training. He would work every day until 6 or 7, and have a smile on his face. No one ever saw him angry or sad. He was just the happiest, most joyful person who was completely focused on Kentucky and settling down. This is just an unbelievable tragedy. "
"McPeek said in the statement," When he started with me, he had a little bit of a little bit of money. "He bought himself and got ready to buy a house. He was hard at it every day, every day. We worked together for a long time and we traveled with us wherever we went. He rode a lot of my best horses for years and was a guy who could handle you. He was just a good guy and loved what he was doing. I'm just sickened by this tragedy. "
It was first known in the city of Churchill Downs that resulted in the death of an exercise rider in several decades, according to track officials.
Training at Churchill Downs Saturday morning shortly after the accident. A moment of silence was set to be observed at approximately 12:30 in Acuna's honor.
Funeral arrangements, Churchill Downs officials said.
McPeek could not be reached Saturday morning, but he posted on Twitter: "We are all sick and saddened by the loss of such a bad man in Odanis Acuna. We are working on all things to help his wife and children. There will be a Go Fund page soon. "
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