The following, unless otherwise noted, were “vanned off” American tracks last week.
Monday:
Tommie Two Toes, Beulah, race 8
Lonesome Kitten, Mountaineer, race 5
Silver N Sassy, Turf, race 6
Tuesday:
Spring Rocks, Sunland, race 4
Wednesday:
Driven by Solar, Aqueduct, race 8 (confirmed dead)
Stored Away, Charles Town, race 3 (“collapsed post race”)
Lil Ms Razorback, Delta, race 5
Impuregold, Portland, race 5
Smart as Jim, Portland, race 9
Delta Court, Turf, race 6
Thursday:
Blossom’s Trail, Aqueduct, race 7
Gone Before Long, Charles Town, race 9 (“ambulance called but broke loose and ran off”)
Second Lion, Delta, race 6 (“fell suddenly”)
Oh Juliet, Delta, race 8 (not vanned but “returned bleeding from the nose”)
Indigo Theft, Evangeline, race 4
A P Eli, Fair Grounds, race 3
Friday:
Kentmere, Charles Town, race 1 (not vanned but fell and “ran to the catch pen”)
Ide Be Da General, Fair Grounds, race 7
Saint Goldie Locs, Laurel, race 3 (“lame”)
A P Asset, Laurel, race 5 (not vanned but “pulled up lame”)
Daddys Aja, Sunland, race 5 (“fell”)
Saturday:
Fit to Rule, Hollywood, race 9
Big Bad Bertha, Charles Town, race 5 (“broke down”)
Sequoyah Wells, Fair Grounds, race 2
Fitz Perfectly, Fair Grounds, race 4
Stanley Cup, Fair Grounds, race 12 (“broke down”)
Rockinpop, Gulfstream, race 2 (not vanned but bled)
Impregnable, Los Alamitos, race 5
Thisisforudaddy, Tampa Bay, race 2 (“broke down”)
Sunday:
My Moment, Hawthorne, race 1
First Joe Hemp, Hialeah, race 3
Controlableimpulse, Portland, race 6
Show Me the Glory, Sunland, race 7
And Second Lion is confirmed DEAD. As we typically must hear/read, the dead horse’s connections are saddened at the loss…and as the deceased Second Lion’s connections reportedly said, they would have done anything to save his life. They should have thought of that before putting him on the track.
Talk is cheap ! And actions speak louder than words !
It is outrageously acceptable to run these horses to their deaths and then say how “saddened ” they are at the “loss” as a form of absolution. Sick!
Yes, the best way to save a horse’s life is to NOT run the horse. Of course, these number don’t include the horses that limp back to the barn. The lies come fast and furious in the racing industry.
more public awareness is needed. not nearly enough people know what “real life” is like for these beautiful horses, while training, racing, or where they end up when their “career” racing is over, if in fact they do live THAT long !!
Thisisforudaddy – just a 2-year-old colt…in his very first race. Fractious in the gate, broke down, vanned off. A 2-year-old.
Kentmere, a little 2-year-gelding in only his second race. In his first race (November), he came in last (9th out of 10 horses, but the 10th horse was a DNF). In Kentmere’s second start, he clipped heels and fell. Heartbreaking. Any racing enthusiasts out there that want to tell me this little guy is enjoying his “job”?
Stored Away – 3-year-old filly. December 18, only her 3rd start. First race, finished 8th. Second race, finished 6th. Third race on December 18; “…quickly faded while attempting to bear out, eased in the stretch, COLLAPSED post race and was vanned off after getting to her feet”. Another horse that according to racing supporters was “born to run”. She collapsed…for an animal that does all it can to remain upright and on their feet, I can’t imagine the extreme exhaustion this little filly endured. And this is entertaining?!?
No, Joy, this is NOT entertainment for those of us who truly care about these horses. The racing enthusiasts would prefer that these ugly stories stay behind closed doors. However, it is important to keep telling these stories so that the general public will STOP betting on horseracing. Without the gamblers, racing would die a quick death. I read repeatedly how wonderful horseracing is yet what is so wonderful about an industry that drugs horses, races them with injuries and then hands them off into bad situations? What is so wonderful about racing a horse who is obviously not able to run or who is simply outclassed? What is so wonderful about damaging a horse beyond repair? There is NOTHING wonderful about any of that. Those that support racing are part of the problem regardless of how many bran mashes they carry to their horses or how many times they lovingly run their hands up and down the horses legs. Again, those individuals are part of the problem.
Daddys Aja, another 2-year-old. This filly, in only her second race on December 20, “clipped heels, fell, vanned off”. In her first race the end of November, she “tired and gave way”…she finished over 24 lengths behind.
Regarding Impuregold (Wednesday)
STEWARDS INQUIRY/ACCIDENT-5TH RACE-NO CHANGE
The Stewards posted the inquiry sign following the 5th race, in order to determine the cause for #2 “IMPUREGOLD” to stumble several times before bolting out and hitting the fence at the 5/16 pole which unseated Jockey Deborah Hoonan. After a review of the incident, the Stewards determined that her mount bolted of his own volition and involved no other horses, accordingly, went official with the original order of finish.
Jockey Hoonan, though bounced off of the fence upon impact, rose quickly to her feet and caught her mount before he could rise and run off. She was able to ride out the remainder of the day. ORC Veterinarian, Dr. DeBess, DVM reported that the horse had bled during the running of the race and bolted due to lack of oxygen. Once he caught his air, he rose and was returned to his barn virtually unscathed.