3-year-old Infant Gold is dead after breaking down in the 9th yesterday at Parx. He was first raced in February (when he was two). Follows are his trainer/owner teams and transaction history:
James Cullen/Jay Young, 2 races, sold to Lewis Carlisle on March 28th
Carlisle, 1 race, sold to Michael Stidham/Michael Faber on April 29th
Stidham/Faber, 1 race, sold to Tanya Boulmetis/Dennis Tanchak on May 31st
Ramon Preciado/Tanchak, 8 races – dead on November 22nd
That’s five trainers and four owners in just over nine months. (And there was a fifth owner – breeders Luisa Degwitz/Ric-Deg – at the start.) In that time, Infant Gold was shuffled among four tracks in three states. Chattel defined. This is horseracing.
Thrown around from pillar to post – this noble living creature was treated like a poker machine on wheels.
DISGUSTED!
That poor 3 yr. old must have been so stressed and confused with so many different handlers and surroundings as well as transportation trucks in his short life. And he winds up at Parx !
Carolyn and Rose, both of you expressed the same thoughts and feelings I have about this poor three-year-old….this sentient creature that craved routine, being moved from barn to barn, handler to handler, environment to environment. What a life FILLED WITH STRESS he endured…not to mention training and racing at such a tender age and immature state. I am sickened and enraged when I think about this poor youngster. As horrible as this is to say, at least his suffering is over.
Yes, this “baby” was treated like chattel but this is typical in the racing industry. Horses are moved from trainer to trainer and from track to track as they descend through the claiming ranks. Along the way, they are drugged, raced with injuries, their joints are injected and they are raced when they should be rested. This is racing’s “business model” and the racing supporters support this blatant disregard for the horse. The majority talk out of both sides of their mouths. Sick and sad…