TULSA, Okla. — Horses that survived the Claremore tornado are racing in Tulsa this summer.
On May 25, an EF2 turned EF3 tornado went through Claremore hitting the well-known Will Rogers Downs racetrack. Many horses were stabled there at the time some suffering injuries while others escaped.
In the week following, crews worked to relocate the horses to Tulsa's Expo Square. Cindy Dunlap was one of the leaders of that effort.
2 News first talked to Dunlap on May 27 as she rehomed the horses.
Racing with racing season kicked off 2 News followed up with her.
"After having day racing at Claremore, it is hard to get back into the swing of night racing," said Dunlap.
Some of her horses are competing in Tulsa over the next month and a half. Those horses were all stabled in Claremore. While some suffered minor scratches, one named Encourage is still recovering from a larger wound.
Dunlap's horse Free Loading Sistah, competed for the first time on June 6, placing third.
Dunlap said Sistah suffered minor scratches from debris but is overall doing well in the new space.
"We are going to cool her legs out. We call it mud but the actual word is called poultice. But it's just a cooling enhancement and tightens the legs back up after they exercise," Dunlap said while spreading the mud on Sistah's legs after training.
- Previous story>>> Horses hurt in Claremore tornado being cared for at Tulsa's Expo Square
Dunlap said there are some challenges since moving from a racetrack to training center.
"It’s harder to get a horse like Sistah ready not being at a racetrack, a young horse. You know what I mean? It takes a lot of maturing and a lot of developing to do, and what you can do at a racetrack is what I call tenfold than what you can do at a training center," said Dunlap.
Dunlap said Sistah and her other horses dipping their hooves in the race waters this year.
Every Wednesday and Thursday Fair Meadows hosts races are free to the public.
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