Trainer Kenny McPeek's five horses on board a trailer that was rear-ended June 22 were unharmed, even with two fillies getting loose, and one running down the Henry Watterson Expressway.
"Our trailer was stuck in traffic at a standstill, and then they were rear-ended by another truck," McPeek said. "When the truck got hit, it pushed the doors in, and it pushed them all forward. The best we can figure is they climbed out of the truck that way."
A groom caught one filly, and a bystander caught one. The trailer was traveling from Louisville, Ky., to Lexington.
"Thankfully, we had them all bandaged," McPeek said. "They hardly had a nick on them. They were pretty easy to catch. They didn't go very far, I don't think they really knew where to go. People watching were taking their belts off and putting them around their necks to use them as leads. One lady took her purse strap off, and they used it to catch the filly."
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The crash was reported around 2:20 pm and occurred on Interstate 264 in Louisville. With the original van disabled from the crash, reinforcements were called in to move the horses to Lexington as quickly as possible.
"The hardest part was getting another truck there to transport the horses," McPeek added. "The team did a great job. I'm glad it ended well. I've seen everything in my career."
