First came the greetings. Last week, when Dr. Christy Klatt saw Hot Shot Kid in the stables at Canterbury Park, she gave the chestnut gelding a big hug to welcome him back to the Shakopee track.
This wasn't strictly a social call, though. This was about preventing the kinds of catastrophic injuries that have roiled horse racing in recent months.
Klatt and two other Minnesota Racing Commission veterinarians came to Mac Robertson's barn to examine horses that had not raced over the winter, part of Canterbury's equine safety protocols. They felt the horses' legs for heat or swelling, flexed their knees and ankles, took note of their demeanor and watched them jog.
