A reminder: Virtually without exception, “broke down” is racing-speak for dead; “vanned off” translates to a better-than-even chance of same-day euthanasia or shortly thereafter.
Monday
Maji Moto, Mountaineer 7, broke down
Bottleofredorwhite, Parx 2, “returned bleeding from both nostrils”
Super Slam, Parx 5, “returned lame” (after winning)
Dark Alley, Penn 2, “stumbled badly leaving the gate,” DNF
Mangrove Pond, Suffolk 3, bled, vanned off
Tuesday
Zip N Run, Indiana 6, vanned off
Trout Lily, Mountaineer 4, vanned off
Wednesday
Pyrite Princess, Albuquerque 7, bled, vanned off
Divine Gift, Albuquerque 7, vanned off
What Appeal, Charles Town 1, vanned off
Abellofapunch, Charles Town 5, “came back bleeding from the nose”
Twisted Perfection, Indiana 3, vanned off
Act of Defiance, Mountaineer 1, vanned off
Giulio Cesari, Saratoga 2, vanned off
Thursday
Buddy’s Greenstone, Charles Town 6, vanned off
Cherie’s Cascade, Evangeline 6, vanned off
Give It to Dem, Gulfstream 4, vanned off
Sky Colors, Saratoga 6, bled, DNF
Hakama, Saratoga 9, vanned off
Friday
Cat O Gold, Arapahoe 7, broke down
Rachel’s Ticket, Charles Town 1, vanned off
Classy, Charles Town 7, vanned off
Champagne Days, Evangeline 4, “bled badly,” vanned off
Grace N Heart, Evangeline 10, vanned off
Western Sword, Penn 8, confirmed dead
Saturday
Elite Buckaroo, Arapahoe 4, vanned off
Slewissurfing, Charles Town 5, vanned off
Tiger Town, Evangeline 1, vanned off
T Soeur, Evangeline 3, vanned off
No News, Fairmount 4, vanned off
Esscalator, Indiana 2, vanned off
Grandma’s Magic, Mountaineer 1, vanned off
De Rage Girl, Parx 6, confirmed dead
Trail Blaze, Parx 7, confirmed dead
Ambarona, Suffolk 3, vanned off
Sunday
Bertrando’s Belle, Albuquerque 8, vanned off
Who’strickingwho, Arapahoe 1, broke down
Bonita Muneca, Belterra 2, broke down
Exultant, Belterra 4, broke down
Fit to Rule, Del Mar 3, vanned off
Debonaire Doll, Louisiana 2, vanned off
So sad. So true and we are to trust those in racing who make empty promises about plans to “put the horse first” when they still haven’t figured out a way to even count their dead and let the public know those numbers.
Too many of these are horses that have proven that they can no longer compete and yet are trotted out there, likely to fill fields. The horse at Suffolk on Saturday was a 5 year old maiden that had been 0-29. The horse at Mountaineer on Monday was at one point, as recently as early 2013, a pretty good horse but had showed absolutely nothing this year and should not have been racing.
I don’t know a ton about horse racing but shouldn’t stewards be preventing uncompetitive horses from racing?
It’s a business, Dan.
When I asked a steward at Laurel if there were any rules about starting a horse one day after starting at another track I was informed it was up to the trainer. There is no accountability in this gambling/cheating business when it comes to the horse.
I’ve always said that the code of omerta on the backside makes the Mafia’s code of silence look like kids’ stuff. It’s true. As for me, after a lifetime in this business, I’m fed up. Sick and tired of what the sport has become. Disgusted with trainers who rack up violation after violation, lie after lie, and they get to keep their licenses. One of the horses on your list, the mare Tasty Treat who DNF and was vanned off? She’s on the vet list, but there is so much more to the story… how many rules does Mike Pender need to break, now many lame horses must he send to the gate before someone outside of social media calls him out on his abusive training and medication practices?
09/07/2014 Trainer Michael Pender. Horse, 5YO dark bay mare Tasty Treat (19 starts 7-4-1, earnings $336,124) pulled up while running 6th in the $75K Orange County Stakes, DNF, vanned off and placed on the vet list as unsound. *Has been on vet list previously. *CAME INTO THIS RACE OFF AN ELEVEN-MONTH LAYUP. Had not raced since running 5th out of seven in the $100K California Distaff Handicap on 10/12/2013. *PREVIOUS SIX-MONTH LAYUP from 12/15/2012 to 06/21/1013. Los Alamitos Thoroughbreds.
08/20/2014 Trainer Mike Pender. CLAIM VOID. Horse, 5YO mare Woebegon (32 starts 8-4-5, earnings $216,655) declared unsound after the running 6th out of eight in the 1st race, a $16K CLM, placed on vet list, returned to Pender barn. *Has been on vet list previously. *This race was the mare’s first start for Pender, claimed by Pender for $12.5K from a race she won on 07/23/2014 for PREVIOUS TRAINER ROBERTINO DIODORO who’d claimed her off Patrick Biancone for $12.5 from a race she won on 05/22/2014—and then ran her back two months later for the same tag, putting his purchase price of $12.5K plus a $16,800 profit in his horseman’s account when Pender claimed her… too depressing to research how many other barns this hard-used mare has passed through. Del Mar.
06/15/2014 Trainer Mike Pender $5000, 21 days METHOCARBAMOL—5TH OFFENSE WITHIN ONE YEAR. Horse, Takeit Tothe Limit, 6th in the 6th race. “It is recommended that should any of Mr. Pender’s runners or workers violate a medication positive rule…within the next 365 calendar days, his license be suspended for a period of not less than six months. Furthermore, Mr. Pender is prohibited from entering horses while under suspension… denied access to all premises in this jurisdiction.” Santa Anita.
05/31/2014 Trainer Mike Pender (owners Denny Pender, David Medina and others) $3500, 7 days BUTE OVERAGE 2.6 μ/ml. Horse, 5YO bay gelding Apollo Ten, 8th in the 7th race on 02/15/2014. *THIS IS PENDER’S FIFTH MEDICATION VIOLATION WITHIN ONE YEAR. (Apollo Ten did not start again until 08/22/2014 when he ran 3rd out of six and earned $6,360 in a $40K CLM for trainer Jack Carava—and mysteriously, by the time he ran again, Denny Pender family had dropped off the gelding’s official list of owners.) *Pender’s 15th known violation since 2007. Golden Gate.
Thank you, Linda.
P.S. The horse in my profile picture (taken in 2011) ran for me (he’s chewing on my arm in the winner’s circle). He made 38 starts, walked off the track sound before he had a chance to be less than sound, and is living out his days as the fat and happy boss of his herd along with a handful of others who ran for me. I go without things like cable TV and electronic gadgets and trips to the mall so that he and the others can have good lives. If I (little old Miss Nobody with her own set of racehorse ankles and a multitude of physical problems brought on by almost 60 years in the saddle) can take care of horses who ran for me, then these f**king millionaires should be able to do the same. I grew up in this game, rode before I could walk. WHY WON’T ANYONE ADMIT THAT DRUGS HAVE DESTROYED HORSERACING? Why? Tasty Treat’s race chart says she took a “bad step”. The myth of the bad step? Really? If horses were fragile enough to break down due to a ‘bad step’ then they wouldn’t be sturdy enough to gallop across a pasture. Lies, lies, lies on every level, and I am sick of it.
Linda, are you sure it wasn’t me who wrote what I am replying to because I feel the exact same way! You just tell it like it is and Joy and I love that! Thank you!
Are you sure that picture wasn’t taken in 2010?? That was the last time that horse won a race. He was also was running on LASIX. Funny I kind of remember you stating that the only shots your horses got were vaccines. I suppose Lone Star Park gives lasix orally. HAY WATER AND OATS everyone. Oh and lasix, a steroid shot here and there, but that is alright, you are a voice of truth.
That horses next races were last, last,then in the next race he beat 2 horses. I guess that gave you hope and you ran him 2 more times. Last and last. Not for your ego, you ran him because HE wanted to run last a couple of more times.
Lies, lies, lies, on every level, and i am sick of it….
How refreshing to “hear” a voice of truth and reason from someone who bore witness…thank you, Linda. Why won’t they admit that drugs have destroyed horseracing (or at the very least, were a big part of its destruction)?…because they then will be held accountable to rid the industry of them. And that will hurt their bottom line – profit.