The following horses were casualties on American tracks last week. This list, however, includes only raceday victims, for while I’d prefer a more complete reckoning, the training carnage, with but two exceptions (NY, Cal), is covered up.
Reported as Dead, Euthanized, or “Broke Down” (racing-speak for dead):
Golden Bay, Aqueduct
Generous George, Golden Gate
Sharp Harbour, Tampa Bay
Stuffed Animal, Santa Anita
Reported as “Vanned Off” – left via ambulance, a better-than-even chance of dead:
Wide Eyed Ide, Fair Grounds
Billy Two Hats, Fair Grounds
Dowooper, Turf
Back Up the Truck, Fair Grounds
Four Lakes, Fair Grounds
Exit West, Fair Grounds
Cahill Chrome, Golden Gate
Cadaques, Laurel
Theralena, Santa Anita
Moonlight Stroll, Turf
Peach Lake, Aqueduct
Inner Pride, Hawthorne
Wistfullee Mine, Los Alamitos
Devil’s Issue, Los Alamitos
Jet Version, Sunland
Boom Boys, Sunland
Oh Daddy Oh, Los Alamitos
Bandini’s Star, Turfway
Shewreckstheplace, Aqueduct
Supercabras, Golden Gate
Gotnaceupersleeve, Golden Gate
Macho Bull, Gulfstream
Sheza Fast Deal, Hialeah
Bolt Lightly, Los Alamitos
Hiclass Local, Sunland
Other:
Small Kiss, Mahoning, “returned sore”
Avery’s Arabesque, Sunland, bled
Stage Name, Aqueduct, “stumbled badly,” DNF
Henry’s Gal, Aqueduct, bled
Lucky Coin, Sunland, bled
Another week and another long list of equine casualties. I look at the list of horses’ names and I see something so much more than just names…each one of those names was given to an exclusive Thoroughbred…a filly or colt with its own personality, a distinctive identity, an irreplaceable LIFE. Each one of them is unique, yet they are like my own equine family members – they want to survive, they want to live and enjoy life simply as a horse should. Had it been another time, or another place, one of my own ex-racehorses could have been found on such a list…yours, too. How many of the horses on this week’s list are waiting RIGHT NOW for help that will never come? Now imagine YOUR horse standing in that stall, or feedlot, or auction pen, or barren field…discarded by the multi-billion dollar gambling/horseracing industry and waiting for salvation. Not the pretty picture the industry wants the public to envision.
Macho Bull is alive and well according to the picture from one of the grooms I saw this morning.
Wistfullee mine is alive and well at a retirement facility being well cared for