Airborne Special Delivery Surprises Breeders’ Cup Horses

A United Parcel Service Boeing 747, which had taken off at the nearby Louisville International Airport minutes before, suffered engine damage early Wednesday morning and dropped engine parts on a barn where Skip Away and Gentlemen, two of the favorites in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, are stabled.

“My horse is OK,” said Sonny Hine, who trains Skip Away. “I don’t think it affected him very much. They say parts of the plane hit the barn and it was loud. I guess I’m going to have to get some antiaircraft up there now. He’s got everything coming at him from the ground and now the sky.”

The incident happened shortly after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. The plane was struck by birds, and parts from the center of an engine’s intake duct are believed to have showered down on the barn roof. The four-engine plane was able to return to the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Nineteen horses were stabled in the barn, including Chief Bearhart, a top contender for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf. “We’re thankful that no people or horses were hurt,” said a spokesman for UPS, adding that there was also no property damage on the ground.