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Horse dies in freak fall at Churchill Downs

By WTOP Staff

BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A racehorse died Thursday at Churchill Downs after a freak fall that the trainer blamed on the sound of a starting gate bell blaring on the track’s new sound system.

The 5-year-old mare Never Tell Lynda was walking toward the paddock on the track when she reared, twisted and fell, hitting her head, said her trainer, Kenneth Wirth. She died before the first race of the day at the track that’s home to the Kentucky Derby.

A heartbroken Wirth later said the horse was startled by what Wirth thinks was the sound of a starting gate bell coming from a commercial on Churchill’s massive new video board. The system includes 750 speakers.

“We teach horses to break from that,” he said. “And you’ve got it on a loud speaker that everybody in a two-city block can hear. Well, what’s she going to do? She thinks she’s supposed to take off. And that’s what she did. And when she did, she lunged and she lost her balance and went down.”

The fall was not witnessed by any of the track veterinarians, but staff rushed to her aid, said Will Farmer, chief racing veterinarian for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

“It was quickly evident that this horse was in the process of expiring,” he said. “To ease her suffering, one of our veterinarians euthanized her.”

A necropsy will be performed on the horse, but the clinical signs matched the trainer’s description, Farmer said.

Wirth said the mare was being schooled, meaning she was not entered in the race but was doing a walk-through to prepare her for future races.

A Churchill Downs spokesman said the “extremely rare” schooling accident was heartbreaking.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with her connections,” said track spokesman Darren Rogers. “We’re currently gathering facts and talking with people about what might have led to Never Tell Lynda’s accident. … The health and safety of our human and equine athletes remains our highest priority.”

Wirth said the sound system was “way too loud” at the time of the accident.

“The only thing you can blame is the music,” Wirth said. “They’ve got to do something about it. … The horses are the main thing here.”

Another trainer, Dale Romans, said he hasn’t seen any of his horses become startled by Churchill’s sound system.

“It’s one of those things, you try to think of everything,” he said. “They just didn’t think of this happening.”

Romans said the track needs to “step up, do what’s right and fix it” to prevent similar tragedies.

“We can’t bring her back,” he said. “All we can do, in her sacrifice, is to make sure that it never happens again.”

The video board looming over the backstretch has become a new bragging point for Churchill.

The track’s newest landmark made its debut in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby this spring. Towering 170 feet over the backstretch, the high-definition, $12 million video screen is bigger than three basketball courts.

The horse’s death is the latest in what’s been a tough stretch for Churchill Downs this spring.

The famed track drew criticism from some of its fans for taking a bigger cut of the money bettors place on its races. The decision came after Kentucky lawmakers rejected the racing industry’s latest effort to add slot machines to generate more cash to boost prize money for horse owners.

Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, who rode Secretariat to Triple Crown glory, said he skipped this year’s Derby after being snubbed by the track’s management. Turcotte, who is paralyzed, said he couldn’t get a parking spot during his last Derby Day visit, and then couldn’t even get into the track to watch last year’s race. The track said any snub was the result of a “communication breakdown.”

Then, Steve Coburn, co-owner of this year’s Derby and Preakness winner, California Chrome, lashed out at Churchill Downs after the Preakness, which is held at the Pimlico Race Course in Maryland.

“Churchill Downs needs to call Maryland to get a lesson in hospitality,” Coburn said. “These people right here, they’ve treated us like royalty.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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