Three horses die in Kentucky van accident

Three Thoroughbreds died and four others were transported to a veterinary clinic with injuries following a trailer crash on a Kentucky highway early Monday. The horses, trained by Eddie Kenneally, were traveling in a Creech Horse Transportation van, bound for Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., where the spring meet opens next week.

"On behalf of my family and my team, I want to extend my sincere gratitude for all of the texts, calls, thoughts, and prayers," Kenneally said in a statement issued Tuesday morning. :Yesterday was a nightmare that no owner, trainer, or horse lover should ever have to endure. So much hard work and thoughtfulness goes into taking care of these horses and the loss is tragic. Please keep pulling for the four horses that miraculously made it out and are fighting at the clinic."

According to a posts on Facebook from the Bardstown Fire Department and Bardstown Police Department, the crash occurred around 4:49 a.m. near exit 25 on the Bluegrass Parkway, in Nelson County. The police department said the truck, which was traveling east, crossed the median and westbound lanes before colliding with an embankment. No other vehicles were involved, and the cause of the crash was not immediately reported.

“When units arrived on scene, they found a tractor trailer on an embankment,” the fire department wrote. “The trailer, carrying Thoroughbreds, became dislodged from the king pin and ripped the cab of the truck from the frame. Crews extricated the driver from the vehicle in about 30 minutes. The driver was flown to University of Louisville Hospital.”

The police department added that the driver had suffered a severe foot laceration, along with head lacerations.

Nelson County Emergency Management wrote on Facebook that specialists from Anderson County Large Animal Rescue and Jessamine County/Nicholasville Large Animal Response were on-scene to extricate the horses from the van, along with veterinarians from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute and Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. Because of the condition of the truck and its position, the back of the van was removed and horses were extricated individually, with the process taking four hours. The surviving horses were transported for additional care via ambulances provided by Keeneland, Hagyard, and Creech.

“These are all horses under my care for Eddie Kenneally Racing,” assistant trainer Kelly Wheeler wrote on the fire department’s page on Facebook. “I can’t thank everyone enough for doing what they could to save the horses. Losing three of them is an unbelievable tragedy. But because of everyone’s hard work there are four at an equine hospital and hopefully on their way to recovery.”

One of the deceased horses was identified by part of the ownership partnership as Darkroom. The 3-year-old Enticed colt, owned by Kenneally, Double O Racing, Kim Valero, and Martha Ingram, won an allowance race March 15 at Fair Grounds for his second win in four starts.

“So unfortunately sad to [have] lost this talented guy today in a horrific accident,” Double O Racing posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Prayers and thoughts going out to all the other horses, owners, staff, driver, etc.”

According to Nelson County Emergency Management, the surviving injured horses are at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, under the care of Dr. Kathy MacGillivray and Dr. Nimet Browne. One of those horses was identified by one of his owners at Vitement. The 3-year-old Mizzen Mast colt, owned by Showdown Kings LLC, Matthew Wiley, and Richard Donworth, has won two of five starts and was third in the Ozark Stakes at Oaklawn on Feb. 10.

“It’s been a horrible day,” Wiley wrote on X. “We don't know if Vitement will survive. He is in terrible condition. … I feel so badly for Eddie Kenneally and the family at the barn, Richie and all my partners. … It’s as bad as it gets. V is like a family member.”

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