In yesterday’s 8th at Monmouth, 4-year-old Forward Momentum “stumbled badly and fell.” Officially, according to Equibase, a DNF. (Two other horses from that race – Valley King and Padre Graz – were also DNFs.) But in fact, the Hugh McMahon-trained gelding was a DNS – did not survive, euthanized on-track. This is horseracing.
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From the chart: “Forward Momentum was in tight quarters entering the first turn, stumbled badly and fell. Valley King fell over a fallen rival entering the first turn. Padre Graz stumbled badly at the start losing the rider. Gadget Man…was eased up late to avoid the loose horse. Gourmet Delight…weakened. D’Marin…tired.” Horses stumbling badly, falling, weakening, tiring, dying…but no worries, all is well according to the chart – because after all of that, “After a Steward’s Inquiry, the race was declared official.” Cash in and on to the next race, folks.
RIP Forward Momentum. Your days of servitude for a bet and a buck are over. Sickening.
First off this was very sad. I was at Monmouth Park that day at witnessed it first hand. I have a problem with the broad brush that you paint the horse racing industry, racing fans, and the human connections with. I am a fan of horse racing and might I add I do not involve myself with the pari-mutual side of the sport. What your article has ignored is the story of the team of loyal workers they groom, feed, walk and care for these horses every single day. The same human connections that on day day I witnessed cries and tears stream down the face as if they had lost a family member, like some would react when losing a pet. There were similar reactions from some in the crowd who had no ties to the horse but just loved the animals and the sport they perform in. You speak of these horses as “investments”. If I were to make an “investment” in anything, a restaurant, car, house and expected it to be successful you better believe I would handle it with the utmost care and affection. I am not saying horse racing as a whole is “clean” and righteous, however I would never paint it with the broad brush you have. Horse Racing is not the only horse sport as you have almost suggested in articles on this site. The care of animals in all sports and purposes be it a pet, one raised for food, one used for labor etc all have their good and bad stories. How we treat animals as a whole should be in focus but the sport of Horse Racing should not be singled out. You do not think a puppy you buy from a store or breeder has been “ripped from his/her mothers arms” as one writer here so eloquently put it? You speak of the average horse fan not knowing what goes on in shed row and I question whether you truly do or not.
For the record, in my worldview, all animal exploitation is wrong. All of it.
Ever hear of the term “work horse”. Horse sports including racing give horses a purpose in life. If you see a horse in the wild they run. In this sport they are bred to do so. It is in their blood so to speak. Believe it or not they enjoy it. The horses that make it to the track are a fraction of those that are bred. Horses are not dumb animals. They will let you know if they don’t want to do something believe me. The horses that make it are the ones who allow themselves to be trained to do so. Exploitation is another broad stroke. Also I haven’t seen you on any other websites or creating any others against ALL animal exploitation. Why is your crusade limited to this sport?
Pat,
How many POSTS have you actually taken the time to read on this website ?
Will you PLEASE answer me that.
I personally have been reading these posts for over a year and am deeply saddened and troubled by the amount of horses being abused and killed at the race track every week.
There are only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week and so there is only a certain amount of time that
Patrick has to devote to the “Crusade” of writing down actual names of real horses dying at the track.
If you SCROLL DOWN, you will see that Patrick has a list of many kinds of animal abuse that he addresses on this website.
Patrick devotes an incredible amount of time in listing the dead horses of racing. That is why this site is named HORSE RACING WRONGS
If you SCROLL UP, you will see a list of those horses Patrick has found through his extensive time consuming research, HORSES ACTUALLY KILLED IN ACTION.
If you look through his collection of archives, you will see that he has written countless stories to give a voice to those who have been killed. So have many others who have witnessed the abuse and death of race horses.
PAtrick is not paid for what he does. He does this because he LOVES horses and all animals that are being abused.
Patricks crusade is actually against all animal abuse. Due to the fact that he is limited to 24 hours in a day and due to the fact that he has other obligations, he has focused this website on horses at the race track , the ONLY website that I have seen to give a voice to the horses being KILLED and ABUSED every day on race tracks in the US.
There are also 20,000 plus racehorses going to slaughter every year. RACE HORSES that have given their all for the owners and trainers who then turn their back on them and send them to slaughter after making a great deal of money off them. Many of these horses descend into CLAIMING HELL and then at least 20,000 a year are sent to a HORRIFIC death that they do NOT deserve.
Please take the time to read past articles on the history of the abuse and death that Patrick and many others who love horses have recorded on this website
SO COOL
Does anyone know who this is ? He was raced in CAnada.
a 20 year old race horse was rescued from KB At auction. He paid $200.00. Sold her for $400.00 to rescue group. Adoption fee is $500.00
Your defense of racing is naïve and rote. It is hard to believe you have so little knowledge concerning what you are defending. But perhaps you enjoy the game so much you are in denial. As they say , there are none so blind as those who will not see.
PS One example of how horses “love to run” is seeing a horse being dragged, pushed and otherwise “encouraged” into the starting gate. Also, do you ever think about what happens to the many horses that do not make it to the track and the many that survive the track and “retire” ?
Kathleen yes I am well versed and have read many articles here an elsewhere of the horrors of the sport I am aware an echo that sentiment that this site serves to promote but I refuse to paint an entire sport with a broad brush just like I wouldn’t call the human race evil after reading a few articles about murder. And Rose if you are suggesting that horses are all slaughtered after retirement you would also be incorrect. I volunteered at an organization that adopted retired racehorses and either trained them to be show or dressage horses or found a home for them to live out the rest of their life.
Pat,
You say that “horse sports give horses a purpose in life”….. Racing gives them a purpose to be exploited, abused, mistreated, drugged, run repeatedly into the ground by over-racing them, neglected, starved, forced into the starting gate where many have cracked their heads open on and died.
Yes, racing certainly has given them a purpose in life; to die in the dirt after incurring excruciating injuries. Racing has given them the opportunity to suffer, and after they are done bleeding every drop of strength from them, they are discarded like pieces of trash and sent to slaughter, for giving their all for their owners, and the thousands that have given their lives for this wonderful “BLOOD SPORT”, you are such a fan of.
The numbers don’t lie Pat. 70% of the foal crop this year will end up in slaughter, and that is a FACT. How sad and tragic that these TB’s are brought into this world, being over-bred, to end up being slaughtered. The cruelty and suffering that they are experiencing is sickening, and anyone who claims to love animals would not want any part of what is happening to these precious, innocent creatures.
Their purpose is not to be FORCED to race, left isolated in their stalls for up to 18 hours a day. Their purpose is to be kept in their herd, running FREE in a lush pasture with owners who are responsible and truly love and care for them.
Their blood is all over the race track Pat, and across every foot of the track a beautiful, innocent baby has died there. Every foot of every track is marked by their deaths. See it for what it is Pat. If you truly love animals, why would you support their continued abuse and support their demise? People like you make me shake my head in disbelief. You see all the death and destruction of living, breathing, creatures, and yet you continue to participate. To me, that is the saddest of all. Someone who sees the truth but won’t accept it.
Marlene Thornley
You said it perfectly Marlene, thank you.
Pat, wild horses don’t just run. Like you said, “horses are not dumb animals” they run for survival. If these racehorses “enjoyed” running so much you wouldn’t need a whip to encourage them to run.