Eighth Horse Dies in Past 3 Weeks at Churchill Downs, Home of Kentucky Derby

Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty

Eight horses have now died at Churchill Downs over the past three weeks, with the most recent death after a race on Sunday.

Rio Moon, a 3-year-old horse, was euthanized after the sixth race on Sunday. According to the notes in the Equibase chart, Rio Moon “suffered a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg a few strides after the wire,” asthe Associated Press reports.

Parents Pride and Chasing Artie died suddenly on May 2. The two horses' trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was later suspended indefinitely.

Code of Kings died on April 29 before a race after flipping and breaking his neck.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

According to World Animal Protection, an animal welfare nonprofit, the deaths result from the racing industry prioritizing “profit over animals.”

“The deaths of Parents Pride, Chasing Artie, Wild on Ice, Code of Kings, Chloe’s Dream, Freezing Point, and Take Charge Briana prove it’s time to address the ethical implications of this so-called ‘sport,'” World Animal Protection executive director Lindsay Oliver said in a statement to PEOPLE. “How many more horses have to die before action is taken?”

source: people.com