Through a “Public Records” request, I was able to confirm the following deaths on Oregon tracks last year. (It should be noted, however, that Oregon is a relatively light-racing state, with but one regular track, Portland Meadows, and a handful of county fairs. In addition, Portland only had 31 days of live racing.)
4-year-old Really a Hero was euthanized after breaking in the 2nd at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show (a 3-day fair) on June 7th. Equibase had the Donald Young-trained (and owned) mare “[going] wrong” and being vanned off.
4-year-old Demetrius was euthanized after the 10th at Portland Meadows December 2nd. The Margie Cantrell-trained gelding, too, was merely a “went wrong, pulled up, vanned off” on the chart. Two more ambulance-riders dead. This is horseracing.
Notice how the traditional, canned expressions used by chart commenters to describe these horrific events appear to place the blame on the horse? “Went wrong.” Bad horsie!