Virtually without exception, “broke down” is racing-speak for dead; “vanned off” translates to a better-than-even chance of dead.
Broke Down:
Antone Suavey, Nov 3, Finger Lakes 2
Unabiding Citizen, Nov 5, Thistledown 6
Next Right Thing, Nov 8, Thistledown 6
Vanned Off:
Letngo, Nov 3, Gulfstream W 2
Power’s Cupcake, Nov 3, Parx 3
Eslin, Nov 3, Turf 7
She’s All Lady, Nov 4, Zia 11
She’s Slammed, Nov 5, Mountaineer 3
Wild Sassy Syn, Nov 5, Turf 8
Sisteremos, Nov 6, Churchill 5
Secret Duke, Nov 6, Finger Lakes 8
Air Landon, Nov 6, Gulfstream W 7
Diamond Disco, Nov 6, Remington 4
Giacomo Strap, Nov 7, Hawthorne 8
Fashionably Rich, Nov 7, Los Alamitos 3
Ace Navigator, Nov 7, Remington 2
Corporate Culture, Nov 8, Churchill 6
Igotitdad, Nov 8, Gulfstream W 1
Diamondback, Nov 8, Gulfstream W 7
So Long for Now, Nov 8, Mountaineer 6
Patchofbadweather, Nov 8, Remington 8
Snow Warrior, Nov 8, Retama 9
Model With Style, Nov 9, Turf 3
Other:
Miss Special Laveaux, Evangeline 8, “lame”
Bonamassa, Nov 5, Mountaineer 1, bled
R Dirteater, Nov 5, Thistledown 6, “hit fallen foe,” DNF
Pigeon Chris, Nov 6, Charles Town 8, bled
Hidden Blitz, Nov 6, Laurel 2, “returned bleeding”
Kaptain Konawa, Nov 6, Remington 6, fell, DNF
Phar Stretch, Nov 7, Charles Town 7, “limped off”
Margin Call, Nov 8, Charles Town 5, DNF, “limped off”
Thisishowwedoitbaby, Nov 8, Lone Star 7, “fell to face,” DNF
Snow Warrior is 2 ½ years old. He ran his second race only two weeks after his first. Then three weeks later, they ran him again….he was lame soon after the start. This bay colt, the equivalent of an eight or nine year old child, suffered pain and injury for….SPORT?
Thisishowwedoitbaby, another 2 ½-year-old. This equine child has run eight times already in his young life. He “fell to his face”. Picture that. How horrifying for this immature gelding. For an animal that needs to keep their feet – for survival – the panic and distress that crashing to the ground must produce in these sentient creatures…it just sickens me. Really, folks, how IS this entertaining? It sure wasn’t enjoyable for Thisishowwedoitbaby.
And another 2 ½-year-old, Kaptain Konawa. This was his first race…he ran “greenly” and “did not keep a straight course”, “clipped heels…and fell”. Every racehorse that steps onto the track is put at an increased risk of injury. Then magnify that risk with a field full of inexperienced juveniles!
Ace Navigator – a Steve Asmussen 2 ½-year-old colt. The race where this little one was pulled up and vanned off was his fourth start and his first claiming race. His stats, 0-0-0. Guess Asmussen and company were trying to unload Ace Navigator. Must be a bleeder, too…Lasix in every start. Sure.
And here, a little filly…Patchofbadweather. Yep, you guessed it…she is 2 ½ years old. First race, a second place finish. Second race, she won…she ran her young heart out for 6 furlongs…Patchofbadweather was “in distress after the race” and required vanning off. There is not a horse on this planet that would run of their own accord UNTIL THEY WERE IN DISTRESS unless they were running for their life, being chased by a predator. RACING SUPPORTERS, IS THIS OK?
Sisteremos…TWO AND A HALF YEARS OLD. Running for the Ramsey’s with a price on her head for 3 of her 4 races. 0-0-0. Guess that’s why…are the Ramsey’s struggling to put bread on their table? This little dark bay filly isn’t paying her way OR theirs!…and now Sisteremos puts a wrinkle in the Ramsey’s plan to unload her by having to be pulled up and vanned off.
SIX equine children, not yet the equivalent of an eight or nine year old little kid (and these six were found in checking only 10 of the horses on this week’s list) – suffering falls, distress, injuries. How many racehorses must endure this torment before reasonable humans finally grasp the futility of this industry?