Mr. Changue, a 6-year-old horse who was rescued earlier this month after falling into a sinkhole, won his first start since that incident Tuesday at Canada’s Fort Erie Race Track. The Ken Albu trainee scored a victory in a claiming race on the undercard for the Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of Canada’s Triple Crown.
Mr. Changue on July 11 was grazing near the track’s backstretch when the ground gave way, creating a sinkhole caused by a broken water main.
Members of Fort Erie’s maintenance, security, and race office staff have been trained through programs such as the Large Animal Emergency Rescue Training on how to manage such situations, the track indicated.
Along with the help of horsemen and the Fort Erie Fire Department, they were able to rescue the horse from the sinkhole safely and unharmed. Campaigned by Sam Passero, Mr. Changue now owns seven wins over 43 career starts. Tuesday’s victory came by 3/4 of a length after he out-dueled That’s It I’m leaving under jockey Kirk Johnson.
