NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The necropsy report on Arcadius, who collapsed and died after a win at Steeplechase, found no other significant findings than what was previously released.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture released the full report on Monday afternoon.
It said that "gross lesions suggest that this horse had acute rupture of the pulmonary artery in an area of shallow aneurysm. This caused acute hemorrhage into the surrounding soft tissues."
Dr. Bruce McLaughlin released a statement regarding the necropsy of Arcadius:
"The eight-year-old gelding Arcadius was delivered to me for necropsy at approximately 7 p.m. on May 12 after collapsing following the Iroquois Steeplechase. The horse was in excellent physical condition. Cause of death was rupture of an aneurysm of the pulmonary artery just above the heart. There were no other significant gross findings."
Arcadius, the world class, grade one racing horse, galloped to victory in the seventh race of the day during the 71st annual Iroquois Steeplechase. But veterinarians said while Arcadius was at a cooling station minutes after that win, he collapsed and died.
Experts said nothing could have prevented Arcadius' death. They have watched the race on replay, and said he showed no signs of being in distress during the race.
Vets say anuerisms cannot be prevented or diagnosed. Arcadius will be buried near the track at Percy Warner Park.
