The following, unless otherwise noted, were “vanned off” American tracks this weekend.
Friday:
3-year-old Kentucky Gem, Retama, race 7
Saturday:
5-year-old M P Joe, Aqueduct, race 6
4-year-old Baby Harlow, Charles Town, race 9 (“broke down”)
4-year-old Another Trick, Churchill Downs, race 1 (bled, vanned off)
7-year-old Atthebuzzer (61st start), Delta Downs, race 7 (“broke down”)
4-year-old Red Man Run, Golden Gate, race 2 (“pulled up lame,” vanned off)
2-year-old One Run Runaway, Los Alamitos, race 2
3-year-old National Prayer, Parx, race 9 (confirmed dead)
6-year-old Modern Cowboy, Penn National, race 5
3-year-old Beyond Heat, Retama, race 8
6-year-old Divine Sophia, Thistledown, race 5 (“pulled up lame,” vanned off)
8-year-old Sliden Clyd, Zia, race 1
3-year-old Finishrich for Me, Zia, race 5
2-year-old S S Star, Zia, race 7
Sunday:
5-year-old Eyesablazin, Hollywood Park, race 2
5-year-old She’s All Yours, Hollywood Park, race 9
4-year-old Manly, Gulfstream, race 3
4-year-old Thimble, Los Alamitos, race 2
2-year-old Hezabadamigo, Los Alamitos, race 4
4-year-old Smart Cool Guy, Thistledown, race 8 (“broke down”)
Each of the 20 horses have their own story which sadly we will likely never know. But they range from those that are just babies to those that have worked long and hard.
S S Star, little 2 y/o filly…she just ran (and won) in her first race September 24, 2013. In only her 3rd start, less than 2 months later, she “went wrong – was taken up – vanned off”.
Modern Cowboy, a 6 y/o Tiznow horse, is Graded Stakes Placed and a Multiple Stakes Winner with earnings of $390K. Racing in his younger days for Pletcher, he ran at Keeneland, Saratoga, and Churchill to name just three. More recently, he runs and wins in August, September, and October. That is still not enough for his connections…Modern Cowboy then finds himself at Penn National. On November 16, in the 5th race, he races “three wide into the second turn then pulled up and vanned off”.
20 fewer for the the slaughterhouse.
Quite the contrary, only one of the twenty is confirmed dead….therefore National Prayer is the only one “safe” from slaughter unless any of the others have since been euthanized. But I get the feeling it’s not a matter of concern to you.
…and sadly, catching up on Patrick’s pieces, I see M P Joe is also confirmed dead.
RIP National Prayer and M P Joe.
It is a matter of concern for me. If the industry doesn’t kill them on the track they send them off to slaughter. It is truly despicable business on every level. The sooner horse racing kills itself the better.
Now I understand your post…I misunderstood your words and perceived them as sarcastic. I am in total agreement with you. It’s tragic, but when I hear of a racehorse that breaks down and requires immediate euthanasia, the thought DOES come to mind that at least the horse didn’t have to endure the tortuous trip to and the unspeakable death of slaughter. That is so disturbing to me…