Yesterday – Monday, one of the slowest racing days of the week – two more racehorses were sacrificed for $2 bets and racino-subsidized pots of gold:
In the 4th at Parx, 4-year-old Trust in Tebow broke down and was “humanely euthanized.” Two races back on December 21st, the doomed mare finished last of 10 – 40+ lengths back. Trainer, Daniel Velazquez; owner, Michael Gramiak.
About 2 1/2 hours later at Louisiana Downs (7th race), 5-year-old Strike It Cody “broke down, fell…euthanized, [and was] vanned off” (I suppose that would be the logical progression). Trainer/owner, Robert Touchet.
It never ceases to amaze me when the racing industry states HUMANELY euthanased. As though they’ve done a very good thing for this animal. However, they fail to state that the reason the horse had to be euthanased was because it suffered a catastrophic injury which was their doing alone and that of nobody else.
“Broke down, fell… euthanized and vanned off”. Yep that’s it boys and girls – nothing else needs to be said they seem to think. Why did the horse break down? a fractured limb injury, a sesamoid injury, a suspensory injury, a tendon injury, a fetlock injury, a fractured shoulder, a fractured pelvis, a severe pulmonary haemorrhage, a catastrophic femoral fracture and rupture of its femoral artery, a ruptured aorta, died as a result of exercise induced cardio-vascular failure and the list goes on. Failing to disclose the nature of the injury being the reason horse died is in breach of the transparency and disclosure laws. It is also deceiving the public which sustains the industry and without the public the horseracing industry would not exist.
As long as there is secrecy, the chance of wrongdoings is very high. As we know, in the horseracing industry this applies and it is the voiceless, defenceless animal, the noble horse that suffers abhorrent abuse and cruelty.