It had been more than a year since Saratoga Race Course witnessed what happened in the Aug. 30 Saranac Stakes (G3T).
Yet even if it was a once in a decade happening, the tragedy would not be any less.
Much like what happened in 2023 to Maple Leaf Mel in the Test Stakes (G1) and New York Thunder in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), The Big Torpedo suffered a catastrophic breakdown of the left front leg during the stretch run of the 1 1/16-mile grass stakes and was humanely euthanized on the track.
It was the first fatality during a race at the Spa since the loss of New York Thunder Aug. 26 of last year. At this year's meet, which began July 11 and closes Sept. 2, there have been 369 races with 2,879 starters and just the one catastrophic injury.
The spill also caused Take Me To Church, who was inside of The Big Torpedo, to trip and careen into the rail. As ugly as Take Me To Church's fall appeared, the 3-year-old colt sustained only minor cuts and scrapes and ran off after the incident. He was caught by an outrider and taken to trainer Brad Cox's barn via equine ambulance.
Jockey Javier Castellano, who was aboard Take Me To Church, was awake and alert and taken to Albany Medical Center for additional evaluation.
Eric Cancel, who was riding The Big Torpedo, was uninjured.
"He appears fine," Cox said about Take Me To Church. "He was a little stunned and had some scratches here and there, which is to be expected. We'll watch him over the next few days but I think we escaped a serious injury."
A 3-year-old son of Big Brown bred in New York, The Big Torpedo was owned by Thomas Albrecht, Vincent Fusaro, and James Klein and trained by Tom Morley.
As for the $162,750 Saranac for 3-year-olds, The Big Torpedo was clinging to a short lead past the eighth pole at the time of the breakdown.
Qatar Racing's West Hollywood was surging past him from the outside at that moment and went on to take the Saranac for Cox by 5 1/2 lengths under Flavien Prat.
"You could hear a pin drop in the grandstand after it happened," Cox said. "It's a tough situation and you feel for the connections of the horse that went down. It's a tough deal."
The 6-5 favorite ($4.70), West Hollywood covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.89.
"Well, I would definitely like to win under a different condition, and all my thoughts are for the connections, the riders, and obviously the horses as well," said Prat, who set a Saratoga meet record with his 16th stakes win. "I wish it would've been different. Our horse ran his race. He ran a good race. That's all."
West Hollywood is a son of Uncle Mo bred by B. Flay Thoroughbreds. Winner of a July 27 allowance optional claimer on the turf at Spa, he has won three of five starts and made his stakes debut Friday.
"I was proud of his effort and he's improving with racing and figuring it out," Cox said. "He's a very nice 3-year-old with a huge pedigree. We'll let the dust settle, get him back to Kentucky and come up with a game plan for him."
Out of the Galileo mare White Hot, West Hollywood was a $775,000 RNA at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is a half brother to 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner Pizza Bianca and the second of his dam's two foals to race. White Hot also has a 2024 colt by Into Mischief .
Winning Move Stable's Yo Daddy, a son of Yoshida trained by Linda Rice, was second by 2 3/4 lengths over The Process, a More Than Ready colt trained by Cherie DeVaux.
