Meadowlands Racetrack issued a release on Thursday, Aug. 24 disclosing the necropsy report findings on an equine fatality that occurred at the New Jersey oval in mid-July.
On July 14 at The Meadowlands, the horse Classic Landing collapsed soon after the finish and died within moments. The Meadowlands stated there was no catastrophic breakdown as his fatality was the result of an internal event.
A necropsy was performed, as is policy at The Meadowlands, and the results were recently filed with the New Jersey Racing Commission. A copy was requested by The Meadowlands so those results might be made available.
The summary of the necropsy reported by the New Jersey Animal Health Diagnostic Lab reads as follows: "The cause of sudden collapse and death in this horse was hypovolemic shock and hypoxemia secondary to hemorrhage from rupture of the left pulmonary artery. The subcutaneous and skeletal muscle hemorrhages are consistent with trauma related to perimortem collapse."
Classic Landing was a trotter, competing in the two-year-old New Jersey Sire Stakes program for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Larry Kerr, J&T Silva-Purnell & Libby. The Tactical Landing-Classical Annie colt had won his only previous start, a Kindergarten Series leg, in 1:54.4.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)