In addition to Sarava’s Dancer, Kris Royal, and Saginaw, a two-year-old filly named Ocean Breeze also broke down and died last week in Saratoga. But because the child-horse was only training, attention was noticeably lacking. Still, I believe the Times Union, as a racing apologist, was being less than truthful when it called Saginaw’s “the fifth race day death of the Saratoga meet.” Technically correct, but were not Black Rhino, Ricochet Court, and Ocean Breeze also Thoroughbred “athletes” who perished at the Saratoga Race Course? The 2013 Death Count stands at 8.
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You forgot to mention juvenile filly Charmed Hour who I know you wrote about earlier this meet. – A K.MPeek horse who was a racing fatality who was euthanized on 8/11.additionally, there was Black Rhino, Charmed Hour, Ocean Breeze, Heading To Toga. Kris Royal, Sarava’s Dancer,Ricochet Court, and the very popular Saginaw. This seems a great number of losses for a 6 week meet. No horse or rider should give their life at a racetrack. Turf track needs to be monitored much better – too hard. A very sad showing for a premier track. I support racing, but no expense or safety measure should be spared for the safety and health of the thoroughbreds or the jockeys,
As per modus operandi, these tracks, and especially the high profile ones like Saratoga want to keep these tragedies “flying under the radar”. Sad to say, they succeed. I wonder what the record for deaths at Saratoga is. We must be close ?
Actually, 16 died just last year. But the final number is largely irrelevant. One is too many.
I will research that. Let you know ASAP.
Here you go…https://data.ny.gov/Government-Finance/Equine-Death-and-Breakdown/q6ts-kwhk#column-menu. It’s unfortunate that NY tracks the information but does nothing about it.
I still am stunned that a 2 year old was even on the track. She was just a baby!! Greedy people and a profit driven industry=—Anything for a buck.
Greedy people make me sick! Anyone making money off of an animal should be shot dead!
Unfortunately I see it like this: racing is just like people fighting pit bulls. anything for money. It sucksHorse racing is LEGAL! This needs to stop or find better care for these horses… and not race them at the age of freaking 2! Their knees are not closed!
Where is the Great NYRA that got in the game supposedly to make sure this did not happen again??? What a joke theses folks are!! Have done nothing except meet to meet no Guts!!
In years past, when a track suffered multiple injuries or deaths, they were put under investigation, track surface came under severe and immediate scrutiny and in one instance, racing was halted for several days while the investigation and findings took place.
Is Saratoga too big? We’re the almighty dollars worth the results?
Politics once agin outweigh the value of human and animal safety.
I am not opposed to racing but think that in ANY CASE where the injuries are so severe and repetitious, steps MUST be taken to protect the athletes!