At least 3 racehorses died yesterday on American tracks: 3-year-old Sixes Slinky Secret fell in a $3,500 claiming race at Evangeline Downs (he had been claimed, by the way). 4-year-old She’s a Listener broke her cannon bone during the 2nd race ($4,500 claiming) at Finger Lakes. And at Belmont, 2-year-old Witchofwallstreet, who had yet to run a race, broke her tibia “while galloping” on the training track and was killed on the spot. The last two bring NY’s 2013 death toll to 105. This is horseracing.
Well on the way for a record. Way to go NY ! But of course it is not just NY. And now Aqueduct is cranking up….It will be interesting to see what impact last years hearings re the record number of breakdowns will have this season.
Why are there so many fatalities in US horseracing? Why is it not better regulated.
I am so shocked. I live in UK where things are not perfect but I think and hope are a little better.
Respect these beautiful animals and don’t just use them as money spinners.
Mrs Newman, yes, in fact, the American breakdown rate is 2-3 times greater than the UK’s. The two most common theories are America’s (and Canada’s) reliance on (addiction to) raceday medication (Lasix), and less forgiving track surfaces.
Patrick you claim our break down rate is 2-3 times higher then the UK . Is that considering the US has possibly 10 times the horses racing?? Are your numbers based on horses per start or are you just stating that there are 2-3 times the break downs in the US compared to the UK. If so where are your numbers coming from??? Now it is Lasix causing the break downs?? I thought it was trainers running lame horses fill with POWERFUL pain medication, or racing with pre existing conditions ?? Seems like the reason changes weekly…
It’s rate, not absolute numbers. I trust you understand the difference. My source is The New York Times. As to your final question(s), it’s both, and more.
Mrs.newman what they don’t tell you is that on any given day there can be up to 2500 horses racing. In this post they want to put in a 2yo that has 1 published work and broke it’s tibia. So the theory of over training or drugs on that one doesn’t hold water. As for horses in training in the US there are tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands.
They did happen to change their comments from broke down to vanned off in their weekly report (legally probably a smart move). Vanned off could mean numerous things not all soundness related.
There are aproxamatly 80 race track, 110 recognized training centers (training centers where you can get a published work) and thousands of unrecognized training centers across the US. So the average of horses actually breaking down training or running in my opinion is very small.
What is not talked about is there are horses all over the country in back yards or non-racing farm that get hurt, break bones or die everyday because horse are fragile.. Also not mentioned is the “rescue” that had to have their rescued horses rescued from them. 4 of which died within 24 hours of being rescued again. They had a slow horrible death. They literally starved them to death. I personally would rather break a bone in competition and be humanly destroyed than die slowly…
Unfortunately horses get hurt and die no matter where they are including race tracks. I do not think anyone is happy about that fact but to think the lions share of deaths are on race tracks is absurd to me…