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The 9th at Fair Grounds Friday, according to Equibase:

“MISS YOU JO clipped heels with BAND BOSS…then fell and was struck by two foes from behind before regaining his feet, went off the wrong way for about a quarter-mile before being caught and was also walked on the horse ambulance then subsequently vanned off.

“JACOBS FLYER collided hard with the fallen foe [above] at the three-eighths as that one began to regain his footing and fell, returned to his feet and went the wrong way for a about a quarter-mile before being caught then was walked onto the horse ambulance and subsequently vanned off.

“OHMYMY OHMYYES struck the fallen foe [above] while jumping over that rival at the three-eighths then checked very sharply and was eased but walked off.”

While Paulick and the other racing rags afforded ample attention to the injured jockeys, I have yet to find anything on the status of the horses. Will, of course, update.

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Last week on U.S. tracks (not including harness and training):

Dark N Cloudy “suffer[ed] a fatal injury…euthanized” at Aqueduct
Turbo Street “vanned off” at Fair Grounds
Wonder Blondy “vanned off” (after getting a “minor share”) at Gulfstream
Under a Spell “pulled up lame, vanned off” at Laurel
Jess a Cajun “vanned off” at Louisiana
Giant Watch “vanned off” at Turf
Just for Rose “pulled up lame, vanned off” at Penn
Big Dude “was fractious…vanned off” at Turf
Spectre Bond “vanned off” at Aqueduct
Ohmymy Ohmyyes “struck fallen foe, DNF” at Fair Grounds
Jacobs Flyer “collided hard with fallen foe, vanned off” at Fair Grounds
Miss You Jo “fell, struck by two foes, vanned off” at Fair Grounds
Strong Performance “fell while in distress…euthanized” at Gulfstream
Captivating Cartel “vanned off” at Los Alamitos
Forman the Foreman “returned bleeding” at Penn
Sly Wildcat “took a bad step, vanned off” at Penn
Quizzical Cajun “suffer[ed] catastrophic injury…euthanized on track” at Aqueduct
Beta “struck gate, DNF” at Aqueduct
Derek’s Aim “vanned off” at Charles Town
Celtic Warrior “vanned off” at Turf
Fifty Eight O G “bled, vanned off” at Aqueduct
Esterina “pulled up lame…euthanized” at Laurel

(source: Equibase)

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Some good news to share:

This morning, Horseracing Wrongs was cited and quoted in a Washington Post editorial – but not just any editorial, this comes right from the Board. The title alone is cause for celebration: “Does a sport that gambles with the lives of horses really belong in our world?” Our mentions:

“Horseracing Wrongs [link is provided], a nonprofit committed to ending U.S. horse racing, has counted 26 horses as having died so far this year at U.S. tracks, including four thoroughbreds who were euthanized over a span of six racing days at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans.

“‘The killing is built into the system’ is the blunt assessment of Patrick Battuello, founder and president of Horseracing Wrongs, who has spent the past five years tracking public data on racehorse deaths at the 100 racetracks in 35 states. He has confirmed 1,000 deaths annually but says the actual number is much higher.” (My own Post editorial from October was linked at the bottom of this one.)

Asking “whether the proposed reforms go far enough,” the Board replies: “We have our doubts and think animal rights activists make a powerful case that the fundamental problem is with horse racing itself.” It closes thus: “It is long past time to stop viewing horse racing through the prism of its past glories and answer the question of whether a sport that gambles with the lives of horses — animals we profess to love — has a place in the modern world.” Thank you, Washington Post.

Our activists were out in force at Gulfstream Park yesterday, there to not only protest the Pegasus, but the cruelty that happens at Gulfstream – and, of course, at tracks across the nation – every single day. Holly Wilson, our Florida coordinator, conducted several interviews, most prominently this one with Fox Miami.

And finally, we have partnered with the non-profit Lady Freethinker for a brand-new billboard in Los Angeles; it will run through mid-March:

The momentum is all ours.

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The 4th at Aqueduct yesterday, as described by the Equibase writer: “Quizzical Cajun bobbled near the nine-sixteenths suffering a catastrophic injury, got placed to a firm protective hold and was expertly pulled up by the rider, then was subsequently euthanized on track.”

The jockey, Jose Lezcano, is praised for the “expertly” way he handled a doomed horse he had a direct hand in dooming. But it’s not the first time we’ve seen this in NYRA write-ups. In fact, just this past Monday at “The Big A,” Dark N Cloudy was said to have “vied with vigour” before dying in the dirt. Not sure if the same writer, but contemptible doesn’t begin to describe this person (these people).

The 3-year-old Quizzical, by the way, is the 9th horse killed in NY (since the Gaming Commission began disclosing such things) with Lezcano at the whip. And that’s just NY; surely he’s been atop other kills around the country.