DEL MAR – A festive Breeders’ Cup weekend in Del Mar took a tragic turn Saturday; Jayarebe, a 3-year-old French-bred colt, died suddenly after suffering a heart attack following the $5 million Turf.

Jayarebe finished seventh with 13 points in the 1.5-mile race, which was won by Rebel’s Romance.

The Breeders’ Cup confirmed the death in a statement:

“Jayarebe suffered what appeared to be a heart attack while galloping. A team of veterinary specialists led by Dr. Brent Cassady attended to him immediately, but unfortunately he passed away. Jockey Sean Levey was uninjured.”

Trained by Irishman Brian Meehan, who won the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2006 (Red Rocks) and 2010 (Dangerous Midge), Jayarebe was making his sixth start of the year and the eighth of his career. He had won four times, including the Grade II Prix Dollar at Longchamp in his home country four weeks ago.

In a story published on Irelandlive.com on Friday, Meehan said of Jayarebe: “He is the type of horse that is adaptable and Sean knows him very well. … This (race) has been on Jayarebe’s radar since the spring and whether you’re looking at Dollars, Hampton Court or Feilden (his last three victories), all his form is good.

“The Breeders’ Cup is my favorite meeting and it’s great to be back. “To win the title race on another continent is very special.”

In 2023, 11 racehorses died of sudden death in California; this accounted for 13.4 percent of horse deaths.

According to EquiManagement magazine, in early 2023, a study was published at the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine examining the results of nearly 4.2 million race starts with 284,387 thoroughbreds at 144 racetracks during 2009-2021. The study reported that sudden death is rare, occurring at a rate of 1 in every 10,000 starts.

First Publication Date: November 2, 2024 15:02 PDT