While reviewing the April casualties, I came across these three horses, all 3-years-old when initially appearing on our lists:
Una Parche was vanned off in a race at Sunland on April 8th. Inactive for the next five months, the filly resurfaced in a claiming run at Albuquerque. Once again, the ambulance was called. Her career started-to-finished ratio is (was?) 3:0. Trainer/owner/breeder team, Ralph and Melaquias Valdez.
Color Me Hot has also been raced three times, all at Prairie Meadows. On April 20th, she was “slammed” by another horse and DNF. Three weeks later, she finished last of 8, 46 lengths back. About two weeks after that, she finished last of 9, 33 3/4 lengths back. Nothing on her since. Trainer/owner, Gene Jacquot.
On April 22nd, Bubba Blitz “dropped back in apparent distress” in a race at Beulah. (At that same track 17 days prior, the gelding had finished last, 17 1/2 lengths back.) Since then, two races at cheap Hazel Park – second-to-last, last. Owner/breeder, Robert Donald; trainers, Ivan Vazquez and Daniel Myers.
If the above aren’t already dead, there’s a good chance they will be soon.
This is horseracing.
So sad, but so common. It’s obvious that most Racing Commissions don’t protect the horse, but protect the wagering money so lame horses with multiple warning signs are still forced to run. This is horse racing, and that’s why I say #stophorseracing
Amen, Gina. Bill Crawford, who heads up the Ohio Racing Commission, didn’t even know how many “legal “drugs racehorses could be given in this state when I spoke with him last spring. He said he wasn’t “sure”. What a joke but not unusual in the racing industry.
Mary, the majority of Stewards working on Racing Commissions are predominantly male who uphold the “old boys network.” I would even go so far to say that post-race blood/urine tests are being tampered with to control the outcome of races. It’s possible that the same Top Trainers winning the big money year in and year out are running on strong opiates while the rest of us fill races for them. One would have to wonder. One thing is for sure the racetracks will not hire intelligent, contemporary female Stewards who have no ties to the “old boys club.” The Steward position is the gateway to the entire doping, cheating, Trainers, and they are not about to give up the key. Some of these Stewards can hardly read or write. I’m waiting for the day that Racing Commissions get their asses sued for blatant discrimination against women. In all this chaos, it’s the racehorses that pay the ultimate price.
Horse shows are as bad, Especially for Tennisee Walkers, They burn up there legs with stuff that makes them lame, just to make them walk a special way, it is not special it is pure pain
Yes, you are right, Theresa.
And as usual, no one in the industry – officials or even one of those “many good folks in racing” – is doing a damned thing to advocate for these suffering three-year-olds. Just like the “good guys” at the track who I witnessed looking the other way when a horse was in obvious pain – saying nothing, doing nothing – there are racing folks who’ve watched as Una Parche, Color Me Hot, and Bubba Blitz struggle in silence, yet they do nothing to help them.