Practical Move Dies of Apparent Cardiac Event

Practical Move , the Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner who had been entered in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), died of an apparent heart attack following his morning gallop Oct. 31 at Santa Anita Park.

The 3-year-old son of Practical Joke   was trained by Tim Yakteen, and owned by Leslie and Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr. with Roger Beasley.

A saddened Yakteen said, "It was a sudden death, cardiac event. ... We are all crushed."

He said the Amestoys were doing "as well as could be expected under the circumstances."

When reached by phone, Pierre Amestoy declined to comment.

The colt was purchased for $230,000 as a 2-year-old at the 2022 Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.  

It had been a roller-coaster campaign for Practical Move, who opened the year with wins in the San Felipe Stakes (G2) and the Santa Anita Derby (G1). He was then scratched two days before the Kentucky Derby (G1) with a high temperature. He returned to the work tab three months later and to the winner's circle Oct. 6, taking an allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita by four lengths. 

Breeders' Cup statement

"Breeders' Cup is saddened to report the loss of Practical Move after what is suspected to be a cardiac event while returning from his gallop this morning at Santa Anita Park. His rider was uninjured, and the horse was immediately tended to by veterinarians from the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), 1/ST Racing, and Breeders' Cup.

"Every year, Breeders' Cup works closely with its host track, state racing commission, and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority in the lead-up to the World Championships to implement stringent safety and integrity protocols. These processes are in place to protect the well-being of our human and equine athletes, and Breeders' Cup is committed to continuously improving the ecosystem of care surrounding every horse."

Sudden deaths, classified as having occurred while or shortly after exercise, range from cardiac arrest to hemorrhaging in the lungs and other types of internal bleeding. They account for only a small percentage of equine deaths.

One of the most high-profile sudden deaths occurred in December 2021 when grade 1 stakes winner Medina Spirit collapsed and died at the conclusion of a morning workout at Santa Anita Park.

Necropsies, which are autopsies of animals, are regularly performed on horses who die at California Horse Racing Board facilities. However, a definitive cause of death is often difficult to determine in sudden deaths, with only about half being definitively explained.