Tiz Chrome, a 3-year-old Bob Baffert-trained colt, broke down during a workout at Churchill Downs April 18 and had to be euthanized. Exercise rider Dana Barnes was aboard the son of Tiznow . She was not injured in the mishap.
According to John Asher of Churchill Downs, Tiz Chrome was working with the 4-year-old filly Underground when he broke down while traveling around the the far turn, fracturing his left front sesamoid. It happened at about 8:50 a.m.
“He was at the five (furlong pole) and they were going easy, and she said when he switched leads, that's when he did it,” Baffert told Churchill Downs officials. “He must have stepped wrong or something, that's all I can think. He was perfect going into the work. You can't really blame it on the track. It was just a bad step."
Tiz Chrome was working toward a start in Churchill Downs’ opening day The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (gr. III). The one-mile race April 24 is worth $200,000.
Tiz Chrome was owned by the Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable, and Bernie Schiappa. Out of the Woodman mare Woodland Shadow, he was bred in Kentucky by Whisper Hill Farm.
Tiz Chrome broke his maiden at first asking going six furlongs at Churchill Downs last November and then won the 6 1/2-furlong Stuka Stakes at Hollywood Park Dec. 19. In his lone start at 3, Tiz Chrome ran fourth, beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Caracortado, as the favorite in the Robert. B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 13 at Santa Anita.
Anne M. Eberhardt contributed to this report.