“A full gate of nine young, conditioned trotters are lining up….” And so began the track announcer’s call of Saturday’s 1st race at NY’s Tioga Downs. In a couple short minutes, one of those finely-tuned horses would “collapse and die” after finishing 3rd, the victim, as the Gaming Commission puts it, of a “probable sudden cardiac event.” A young “athlete” suffering a fatal heart attack, one assumes, is cause for a serious inquiry. But I am quite certain nothing of the sort is coming, for “Volare TZB” was just another anonymous, easily-replaced Standardbred toiling away on some nondescript American track.
Probably CLENBUTEROL. Is the Gaming Commission ordering an autopsy? Were blood and urine samples taken to test for Clenbuterol and other substances known to result in heart problems? Or….is it the….”didn’t test – so we don’t know…” business as usual with the “investigators” at the Gaming Commission?
And was the horse given Lasix ? The drug depletes potassium and other essential electrolytes and that can cause fatal cardiac arrhythmias. The drug is a powerful diuretic and given to a healthy being causes dehydration because without the disease process resulting in fluid retention it upsets the fluid balance. All drugs have undesirable side effects and these can be very serious and especially when the drugs are misused as happens in horseracing.I seriously doubt there will be any further “news” regarding this sad incident. All sudden deaths like this should have mandatory testing for drugs. It has to be forced on the industry…way, way too much is being “swept under the rug”.
PS The “sudden cardiac event” has a cause, especially in a young athletic horse, and that is brazenly avoided. Shame on the whole industry.
My god, this never ends…and yet we always hear from racing supporters that there are only a handful of horses that die in this, their beloved “sport”…am I the only one that is just BAFFLED at how anyone can continue to watch and support a “sport” where deaths of sentient beings occur week after week?!? And these supporters claim to LOVE these horses?!?
RIP Volare TZB, I am SO sorry for your suffering and death! You deserved so very much more, to live and be loved.