5-year-old Finally Together, reported as “broke down in mid stretch” Monday night at Mountaineer (race 9), is confirmed dead. In 27 months and 23 races, Finally Together was handled by five different humans: John Charalambous (6), Martin Sandee (3), Heather Hollahan (4), Kathleen Parker (3), and Charles Kieser (7, including the fatal run). And, bought and sold several times over, with market value declining along the way. (His final owner, Wesley Singleton, bought him for a mere $5,000 last July.) A common slave in life, an already-forgotten claimer in death. This is horseracing.
I’m glad his life is mentioned here, so we can remember him xo.
RIP, Finally Together xo
A five year old breaks down on the track and dies….same old story day after day after day. However, let’s not forget about the “minor” injuries in regards to the horses that are fortunate enough to make it out of racing alive. Arthritic changes happen ALL THE TIME in racing preventing these animals from competing at the higher levels. The wear and tear on the muscles and joints in young horses is beyond criminal but a horse standing in the stall can’t generate the revenue that is needed so the show must go on. It sickens me but this is horseracing. RIP Finally Together…I’m sorry you lost your life at Mountaineer, a track that I call the “hell hole”.