The size of a race horse and its natural instincts make it nearly impossible to survive serious injuries at the track, but many are trying to improve the odds.
Mongolian Groom, a 4-year-old gelding, was euthanized after breaking his left hind leg in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita in California. In 2008, the filly Eight Belles finished second behind Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby.