Although the official race chart had American Sun (below) as merely “pulled up, vanned off” yesterday at Santa Anita (6th), the Daily Racing Form reports that the 2-year-old filly is in fact dead, euthanized for “an ankle injury.” She was trained by Adam Kitchingman, the same Adam Kitchingman who lost Stuffed Animal earlier this month.
Without question, in most instances “vanned off” translates to dead. But because only a fraction of tracks/meets (SA being one of them) are covered in any detail by the racing press, confirmations like this are rare; usually, the vanned simply disappear.
At least 13 horses, most of them left unidentified by the California Horse Racing Board, have perished at prestigious Santa Anita in the past month. Rich tracks, cheap tracks – it matters not. When it comes to killing, Racing doesn’t discriminate.
She’s beautiful! Its heartbreaking when this happens to them. They all deserve to be recognized for the courageous efforts they gave before losing their lives in the hands of this industry.
An “ankle injury”? horses do not have ankles! Another example of the ignorance of equine knowledge within the racing industry – highly likely a fetlock, suspensory, sesamoid injury. This magnificent 2 year old filly American Sun was sacrificed by the racing industry and Kitchingman. Disgusting!
And I’m ready for any racing apologist who comes out and says:
so sad and tragic!
we loved her so much!
treated her like a family member!
these things happen in racing!
she took “a bad step”!
her death resulted from being a horse, not from being a racehorse!
This is my {jenna} first day with this site. My heart, my soul, my mind are crying! What good will that do? It will not affect the HORSE PEOPLE one bit. They no longer remember what’s it’s like to LOVE a HORSE. They don’t remember the struggles some people have to give their animals what they need because they were given what they wanted? But I will tell you one thing they have forgotten, the comfort of a loving HORSE!