Thoroughbred racehorse Meteore was euthanized April 2 after suffering a catastrophic injury in his right lower leg in an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, Calif.

"Meteore sustained multiple fractures and luxation (dislocation) of his right front fetlock joint," said Rick M. Arthur, DVM, California Horse Racing Board equine medical director, adding that the major fractures were of his cannon bone and sesamoid, and the colt also suffered associated soft tissue injury.

The 5-year-old son of Pulpit, a homebred owned by Wertheimer and Frere and trained by Richard Mandella, went wrong on the first turn of the one-mile turf race with Brice Blanc aboard. Meteore was the 7-5 favorite in the eight-horse field.

Meteore won the La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (located in Del Mar, Calif.) turf in August 2009 but was winless in 10 subsequent races prior to his first appearance at Golden Gate Fields. The chestnut horse compiled a 3-1-4 mark in 20 starts and earned $292,576