Last week’s U.S. horseracing casualties.
Reported as Dead or “Broke Down” (racing-speak for dead):
Sage Valley, Dec 10, Aqueduct 8
Matter of Truth, Dec 10, Charles Town 6
Lefty Closer, Dec 10, Mahoning 7
Kays Version, Dec 12, Sunland 3
No Ice Castles, Dec 14, Turf 8
“Vanned Off” – horses who required an ambulance (in crudest sense of the word) to leave course; a better-than-even chance of dead:
Stormy Dreams, Dec 8, Turf 5
White Lion, Dec 10, Gulfstream 7
Pistols Drawn, Dec 10, Hawthorne 1
Ocean Gal, Dec 10, Tampa Bay 9
Ludo Bagman, Dec 11, Aqueduct 1 (subsequently confirmed dead)
Bird Hunter, Dec 12, Charles Town 3
T.K. Fortysix, Dec 12, Golden Gate 7
I C U Dan, Dec 12, Penn 2
Sartori Inn, Dec 12, Tampa Bay 6
Point of Defence, Dec 13, Penn 9
Lion of Lone Oak, Dec 13, Remington 8
Falana, Dec 13, Sunland 5
Silver Flyer, Dec 14, Golden Gate 7
Tour the City, Dec 14, Gulfstream 4
Niner Seventy Nine, Dec 14, Los Alamitos (T) 2
Other:
Hannah’s Gamble, Dec 8, Parx 2, “stumbled badly,” DNF
R Jones Semper Fi, Dec 9, Mahoning 2, bled
Flashin the Bull, Dec 10, Mahoning 6, “sore,” DNF
Sky Kerridge, Dec 10, Mahoning 8, “stumbled badly,” DNF
David Rocks, Dec 12, Aqueduct 4, bled
Purling, Dec 12, Aqueduct 7, bled
Heza Fast Lover, Dec 12, Evangeline 3, “lame,” DNF
I Pray to God they will Rest in Peace.
Another week, another long list of horses that are injured and dead. Un-FREAKING-real. I just finished reading about the “independent investigator” that is going to look into the “near tragedy” at Charles Town (where the loose Winningaswespeak collided head-on with the now-dead Frisky Dixie)…these people are such fools. There’s identified shortcomings in this situation, but let’s hire someone (who cannot begin his “work” until January 2) to give the perception that they are interested in the safety and well-being of the horses. They point fingers every which way…yet it is never anyone’s fault, it seems. In the article, jockey agent Larry Reynolds states (regarding the incident): “Somebody’s got to be held accountable.” Oh really, Mr. Reynolds?…well SOMEBODY better get busy investigating these WEEKLY LISTS of horses that are dying in these “near tragedies”!…because SOMEBODY’s got to be held accountable!