The Bill Parcells-owned filly Maple Leaf Mel shocked the horse racing community after she was euthanized due to suffering a horrific leg injury just meters from the finish of a $500,000 race at Saratoga Springs on Saturday.

The horse was in the lead and appeared to be on track to win the race before its leg buckled, unseating jockey Joel Rosario, who was brought to the hospital for treatment and required stitches for facial abrasions.

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Despite receiving treatment from on-site vets, Maple Leaf Mel had to be put to sleep due to the severity of her wound, according to the New York Racing Association.

Maple Leaf Mel was 5-0 in her career and was trained by Melanie Giddings. Former NFL Coach Bill Parcells, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who was present at the racetrack and owned August Dawn Farm, was her owner. According to NYRA, Maple Leaf Mel passed the mandatory pre-race veterinary examination.

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The necessary necropsy will be carried out at Cornell University, and the findings will be evaluated by representatives of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, the New York State Equine Medical Director, and the NYRA management. Pretty Mischievous, the 9-5 favorite who closed from seventh at the top of the stretch, won the Test by a head.

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione said: ‘I feel so bad for the connections of Mel. It’s hard to enjoy this one thinking about that. My condolences go out to their team. Hopefully, they´re able to get through this and God bless them.’

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PETA accused the track of playing ‘Russian roulette’ with the lives of the horses after that move. ‘We are relieved that racing has been suspended, which PETA has been calling for since May 2, but Churchill Downs must not play Russian roulette with these horses’ lives by simply shifting the problem elsewhere,’ the animal-rights organization said in a statement to in June.