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In the most recent minutes from Los Alamitos, the stewards write:

“Jockey JESUS AYALA came to the office to review his crop use during the eighth race on Sunday [September 22] which he won. He admitted to the violation, which was blatant in that he used his crop 12 times in succession without giving his horse a chance to respond. Despite the fact that he hasn’t had a violation in 10 months, we departed from the penalty structure and issued the following ruling:

JOCKEY JESUS RIOS AYALA IS FINED $300 FOR A BLATANT VIOLATION OF CHRB RULE #1688(b)(6) (USE OF RIDING CROP-MORE THAN THREE TIMES IN SUCCESSION, WITHOUT GIVING THE HORSE A CHANCE TO RESPOND)”

So, he beat the hell out of his horse (Tequila Sangria) – four times the limit of consecutive whacks – and incurs but a paltry fine. And this, mind you, was “departing from the penalty structure”; otherwise, he’d have gotten off with even less. Nothing is more important than “equine welfare,” huh? Vile. By the way, the race in question was a $125,000 Grade 1 with $62,500 going to the winner – which, of course, helps explain Mr. Ayala’s exuberance with the “stick.”

This is horseracing.

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Last week in U.S. Thoroughbred and Quarterhorse races

Grady “appeared in distress” at Finger Lakes – subsequently confirmed dead
Trainfortwentyone “vanned off” at Parx
Ivan El Grande “vanned off” at Zia
Dog Soldier “appeared in distress, DNF” at Finger Lakes
Hoosier Monty “vanned off” at Indiana
Tizprocess “vanned off” at Parx
Butch Cassidy “vanned off” at Parx
Kaylee’s Hope “fell, DNF” at Thistledown
Ohio Silver “fell, DNF” at Thistledown
Dicey Lady “vanned off” at Zia
Whiskey Brown “vanned off” at Zia
Fearless Anna “vanned off” at Indiana
Triggerman “went wrong, fell” at Keeneland – subsequently confirmed dead
Raincoats’ntuxedos “took a bad step, vanned off” at Presque Isle
The Vincenator “fell, DNF” at Delta
Als Alex “went bad, vanned off” at Penn
Whiskey Is My Wine “vanned off” at Belmont
D’ambrosio “vanned off” at Belmont
Track Binder “vanned off” at Delta
Ride the Sea “fell, vanned off” at Remington
Jess Chew “vanned off” at Will Rogers
Runnin’toluvya “vanned off” at Charles Town
The Duck “returned lame” at Genesee Valley
Monstaleur “fell, DNF” at Genesee Valley
Naughty “vanned off” at Gulfstream W
R Rocket Man “vanned off” at Hawthorne
Go Oshie Go “fell vanned off” at Hawthorne
Huntin Buddy “bad steps, vanned off” at Indiana
Shes a Famous Royal “fell” at Los Alamitos – subsequently confirmed dead
Overwhelming “vanned off” at Middleburg
Dashers Rose “vanned off” at Prairie
Silk From Heaven “came back bleeding from the nostrils” at Santa Anita
Distinctive B “vanned off” at Turf
Underwrite “bled” at Grants Pass
Across the Bridge “vanned off” at Monmouth

“Vanned Off”: unable to walk off course under own power; many of these horses will resurface on my FOIA kill-reports

“Bled,” “Returned Bleeding From Nostrils”: usually indicates pulmonary hemorrhage

(source: Equibase)

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In the 5th at Hawthorne yesterday, R Rocket Man, says the (Equibase) chartwriter, “[was] restless in the gate before the start, settled near the inside, was pulled up nearing midstretch, then was vanned off the course.”

Later, in the 8th at Charles Town, Runnin’toluvya “became fractious in the gate then broke through prior [to] the start…gave chase leaving the seven sixteenths pole, showed little response from that point…pulled up and vanned off.”

“restless in the gate”; “became fractious in the gate”: Two enslaved animals telling – the only way they can – their enslavers that they did not want to do what they were being forced to do and that perhaps something was wrong with their bodies – to no avail. Both “vanned” away after the race – to unknown (as of this writing) fates.

This is horseracing.

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According to the official chart (Equibase), B B Molly was a mere “eased over the wire” in the 5th at Finger Lakes Thursday. “Eased” – positively innocuous, huh? Turns out, the filly was actually “vanned off” for a slab fracture and, says the Gaming Commission, euthanized. Dead at three. Finger Lakes now sits at 16 killed on the year.

This is horseracing.