Penn National Sued After Horse Death Linked to Tail Tied to Starting Gate

Posted on: July 1, 2024, 11:04h. 

Last updated on: July 1, 2024, 11:23h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

Horserace trainer Erin Carpio is suing Penn Entertainment claiming its employees’ negligent treatment of her horse, Sir Steele, led to his untimely death.

Penn National Race Course, Hollywood Casino, Sire Steele, negligence lawsuit, Erin Carpio
Racing at the Penn National Race Course in Granville, Pa., also the site of the Hollywood Casino. Sir Steele was euthanized after suffering severe injuries at the course in August 2023, according to the lawsuit. (Image: Patriot-News)

Sir Steele suffered a severe injury before a race at Penn National Race Course in Granville, Pa. on Aug. 16, 2003, and was ultimately euthanized. That’s after racetrack employees tied the six-year-old gelding’s tail to the starting gate.

Racing officials sometimes clamp a horse’s tailbone onto the rear gate to calm it if they feel it is likely to thrash. But Carpio says she had asked Penn National staff not to employ this tactic earlier in the summer because of Sir Steele’s sensitivity.

Horse Panics

When the horses were being loaded into the gate in the eighth race at Penn National on August 16, Sir Steele’s jockey told the assistant starter three separate times not to tie his tail, according to the lawsuit.

Nevertheless, the order was given to do so, which caused the horse to panic and become stuck under the gate, which resulted in injury, the complaint alleges.

A report by the Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center, submitted as evidence, showed there was a strong suspicion of fractures of the tail and the right orbit. This was later confirmed by imaging. There was also a laceration to the right carpus.

“Fracture was able to be displaced on palpation. Discharge from the stretched skin proximal to the anus. Complete palpation not performed due to severe swelling. Imaging [confirmed] complete, displaced fracture of right zygomatic arch [around eye]; complete, comminuted, displaced vertebra fracture,” the report stated.

‘Unresponsive to Sedation’

The next day, Sir Steele, who had a history of exertional rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown), was showing generalized signs of moderate to severe pain that required sedation.

Over the next 12 hours, Sir Steele’s pain “became progressively worse and [he] became unresponsive to sedation,” according to the report. Euthanasia was recommended and carried out on August 19.

The suit was filed June 11 in the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas. It alleges violations of several state racing regulations, including mistreatment of a horse. The plaintiff is seeking $22,272.84 in damages, which includes Sir Steele’s “fair market value” of $10K plus veterinary bills and legal expenses.

The suit names Eric Johnston, Penn National’s director of racing, head starter Lindy Riggs, assistant starter Freddy Diaz, and William Otero, a Penn National employee.