Back in February, I reported on the death of Peacebethejourney at Turfway. According to the chart, Peace “fell in distress.” Here are the details from the KHRC: “complete luxation of the fetlock joint; [multiple] fractures; severe tearing of the suspensory ligament.” Oh, and the 3-year-old also hemorrhaged in the lungs, and suffered from lymphoplasmacytic hepatitis and gastric ulceration. Any comments, apologists?

One thing about the Thistledown chartwriter, he/she is a person of few words. The full writeup for Competent in the 7th yesterday: “made the lead a few strides out of the gate, took a bad step, pulled up and was euthanized.” Done. Dead. Competent was five, and this was her 18th race. In her penultimate one, April 30 at Churchill, she finished last of 12, 21 lengths back. Her exploiters: Mark and Jason Tomczak.

Friday, the Gaming Commission reports, there were two kills during morning training at Finger Lakes: Kenny Hustle, three, “suffered sudden death.” Again, three years old – “sudden death.” Princessinparadise injured her stifle, “necessitating euthanasia.” She, too, was just three years old. These are kills 38 and 39 on the NY Horseracing year.

Saturday, the 5-year-old mare Holiday Chimes was raced at Fonner Park. Here is her chart note: “Holiday Chimes appeared to take one lunge and then propped at the break and unseated the rider, crashed through the inside rail before going a furlong and was injured and vanned off.”

So, she “crashed through the rail,” went another furlong, and only then was retrieved and “vanned off.” But wait, there’s more: “An inquiry was posted into the start,” the chartwriter relays, “and [the stewards] found that the horse caused its [its, not her] own trouble.” Holiday is in all likelihood dead (I will of course confirm), which, if so, means the Fonner officials are basically saying she killed herself. Adjectives fail.