Through an “Open Records” request, I have confirmed the following 55 deaths on or at Oklahoma racetracks in 2014:
1-year-old Jazz Corona, February 14, Remington, training
4-year-old Lucian, February 18, Remington, training
3-year-old Take It Up a Notch, February 21, Remington, training
2-year-old Diamondsontheinside, March 8, Remington 11
2-year-old Jack Brookshire, March 8, Remington 14
2-year-old Promise Me Pyc, March 13, Remington 9
2-year-old Texas Spook, March 22, Remington 8
4-year-old Mi Vengador, March 27, Remington 3 (euthanized March 29)
5-year-old Tellem Its Texas, April 3, Remington 9
7-year-old Smokin Armadillo, April 14, Will Rogers 8
3-year-old Runaway Wild, April 18, Remington 10
3-year-old Just After Me, April 19, Remington 10
2-year-old Tango Jet, April 20, Remington 2
3-year-old Jaylo Caliente, April 26, Remington 7
5-year-old Official Business, April 27, Will Rogers, “illness”
4-year-old Watch This Zoom, May 3, Remington 1
3-year-old Friends for Life, May 5, Remington, “non-race injury”
2-year-old Curl Del Rey, May 9, Remington 9
3-year-old Lil Ditty, May 13, Will Rogers 10
4-year-old Carters Crown, May 16, Remington, training
5-year-old Canon Zoom, May 16, Remington 1
2-year-old Pyb Place Your Bet, June 1, Remington 8
2-year-old McSpeedy, June 4, Will Rogers, “non-race injury”
3-year-old Agent Boo, June 14, Fair Meadows 8
2-year-old My True Desire, June 21, Fair Meadows 10
3-year-old Cuzs Painted Success, July 5, Fair Meadows 4
2-year-old Hiway Centerfold, July 12, Fair Meadows 4
4-year-old Bodey the Beast, July 17, Fair Meadows 5
5-year-old I’m Included, July 20, Remington, training
2-year-old Artic Eagle, July 24, Fair Meadows 11
5-year-old Arctic Thunder, August 20, Remington 5
3-year-old Splendid Saturday, August 24, Remington, training
4-year-old One Eyed Shook, August 30, Remington 5
2-year-old Sweet Irish Tee, September 5, Remington, training
2-year-old Party for All, September 7, Will Rogers, training
3-year-old Jr Blue Chew Chew, September 7, Will Rogers 11
3-year-old Sweetpea’s Yankee, September 17, Remington 5
3-year-old Jackson Station, September 18, Remington 2
2-year-old Coronas Lite, September 20, Will Rogers 7 (euthanized September 21)
Otis (pony), September 22, Remington, “illness”
6-year-old Okie Tuff, September 26, Remington 3
2-year-old Texas Two Moons, September 27, Will Rogers, “paddock injury”
3-year-old Praetorian Saint, September 28, Remington, training
3-year-old Intelligent Girl, October 11, Remington 1
3-year-old In the Backseat, October 16, Remington, training
2-year-old Inhibited, October 24, Remington, training
2-year-old Valiant Lover, October 25, Will Rogers 8
3-year-old Supertanker, October 26, Will Rogers 11
2-year-old Gruff Six, October 30, Remington, “non-race injury”
3-year-old Lil Corona Swingin, November 1, Will Rogers 10
5-year-old Pure Pyc, November 1, Will Rogers, “illness”
2-year-old Ace Navigator, November 7, Remington 2
2-year-old Fine Lookin, December 3, Remington, “paddock injury”
4-year-old Thingamajigger, December 4, Remington 7
4-year-old Lion of Lone Oak, December 13, Remington 8
It’s worth noting that 21 of the dead horses – almost 40% – were two or younger – yes, there was a 1-year-old (I age according to actual birthdays); only 2 of 54 (pony excluded) could have been called fully mature. Imagine that.
Alright – this pretty disgusting. The allowance f these human aberrations is just too much. I am pretty sure Oklahoma has animal cruely laws (I may be wrong). But these horses were neligently handled. Overrun,, negligently failing to meet the needs of the horses. WHERE is law enforcement? I know what it is doing – but is it there watching thiese miserable situations?
Nobody is looking out for these horses. Racing is outside the law in terms of corruption, cheating and especially when it comes to animal cruelty. There are no rules in racing to protect the horse and everybody looks the other way even in cases where horses suffer outrageous abuse and death. In this business money trumps all and there are no questions asked. Racing is the embodiment of the worst traits of humanity.
PS This may help to illustrate the fact that racing does not ask any questions, does a rotten job of policing itself and cares nothing about horse welfare :
A horse called Salutos Amigos now owned and trained by David Jacobson just won another stakes race for his trainer. Nothing unusual there but if one looks at the history it is interesting. The horse had 14 starts under the former trainer with 1 win, 1 second and 1 third. The horse was acquired by Jacobson and had his first start for that trainer/owner on 4 April 2014 which he won. The record with Jacobson is now 13 starts with 8 wins and 1 second and 3 thirds. The horse has had a wonderful transformation and a spectacular winning record by any standard not to mention his winnings which amount to over $715,000 for Jacobson. In fact, the horse was started 3 times in the first month with the new owner and made a quick $115,000.
Also, when it comes to horse welfare Salutos Amigos has started with as little as 6 to 8 days between races and that included travel time from NY to CA. in one instance. That is very hard on a horse and is just plain wrong but who in racing cares ???
HAHAHA Oklahoma has cruelty laws?????? Governor Mary Fallin signed horse slaughter into law on Good Friday when state and Fed offices were closed. First state to approve it.
Rose
David Jacobson is notorious for running horses into the ground. Out of all the T/B trainers, I think he tops my list of worst abusers. I believe he has been fined for neglect in the past. Also, one of his horses was found slated for slaughter, but he claims he had no idea. Really? It’s the same old story “It’s all about the money, the horses are the victims in this cruel game. I not only blame the trainers; the owners are just as guilty sending them out repeatedly with no rest. Marlene Thornley
Ah -that name Jacobson again. Wherever he rears his head, his acquired claimers die. Remember 8 yr old Saginaw and 9 yr old Cherokee Artist? Poor Cherokee, his protective owner, J. Mack Robinson died last February and he ends up in the clutches of Jacobson and his syndicate stooges. He wins with those claimers, but they die. His record of killing stakes winning horses who should have enjoyed happy retirements is unsurpassed, yet he is the King of Aqueduct and the leading trainer season after season. I always remember Toque the grey beauty he gave to the horse torturer, who ended up at slaughter auction, and was snatched from the knacker auction with an infection so serious that he had to be euthanized. The trainer with six dead horses in 15 months between September 2013 and November 2014. Yeah that Jacobsen.
“Protective owners”?…in the horseracing industry? No such thing. Not of their horses, at least. They would like the general public to believe that lie, but those racing owners/trainers who like to pretend they’re such loving and “protective” folks eventually show their true colors…one only has to look a little closer.
Hello Joy- I know that you feel no one who owns race horses could be a good steward of horses or even a decent human being. I do know a few I consider to be honorable and caring. We will never agree on that but I feel we certainly agree that Jacobson is a scourge.
Susan, whenever you mix money and animals, the animals always end up losing. However, I agree with you that there are a “few” good people in racing but even those “few” good people run their horses with drugs, race them before they are fully developed, and put them up for sale in claiming races, and, even though they don’t directly send them to slaughter, they are responsible indirectly when their former horses end up there, Therefore, in my opinion, even those who are “honorable and caring” commit atrocities against the animals they profess to love. They just commit fewer atrocities than the bastards such as Jacobson. I compare it to the person who hits his dog with a stick once a day versus the guy who hits his dog five times a day. If I was forced to choose the individual who was kinder to his animal, of course I would choose the guy who limits the strikes to once a day.
By the way, why, in your opinion, are there only a “few” good people in racing? Also, why do you support any industry which allows animal abusers, such as Jacobson, to compete? I, for one, would feel as if I betrayed the horses who give their all. Just curious as to what your answer might be.
.
I believe some in racing consider themselves to be “caring” but as someone in the business told me he could hardly survive were it not for the claiming option. Also, he considers himself to be in the caring category but he enters some of his low performing horses in claiming races. How can he care about his horses when he can put them at risk of being claimed by many of these less than honorable people.
Racing and caring can’t coexist.
Honorable and caring humans do not put the love and want of money above the welfare of animals. Period.
And, Joy, let’s not forget about the glory and recognition. That is just as important to some racing supporters as the money.
Mary- What you say has a great element of truth. I grew up with racing and I think that running is a fine occupation for a Thoroughbred. Pure running is their delight. I grew up knowing people who would never drug their horses, raced them sparingly and gave them honorable and good retirement when the time was right. They didn’t dump their horses, they never beat their horses and there was no finer place to be than a shedrow. You couldn’t give me a four star hotel room that I would prefer to sleep in over a tack room.
I have been horrified at the changes to racing and it has become overall, an abominable sport. But there are still people who love their horses, pick the best choices for their horses, and put their horses above the dollar. I have met some pretty ruthless people in every profession, including teaching and human services, So I think that evil has been evenly distributed across many fronts.
I spend my time trying to clean up injustice where I see it. I didn’t turn my back on the children I taught when the administrators turned out to be power hungry sociopaths and I won’t turn my back on people who are striving to clean up racing and make it a safer and fairer sport. Yeah there’s never going to be any shortage of work there.
I am a realist in that I know that in my lifetime there is never going to be a perfect world and that horse racing is not going to magically become all blue skies and rainbows. There are horses being bred for racing every year and they deserve the very best environment and treatment they can get. I will keep working for that.
I know it is the goal of this site to see racing banned. I support everything that is said here regarding horse welfare. I though, unlike many readers here, think that a horse/human partnership is a great experience-like a great marriage or a great working relationship in the business world. Yes (now Joy will be wanting my head on a pike) I believe horses like to have a job. They don’t all aspire to be pasture ornaments their whole lives. My dogs like to have a job, I like to have a job and the horses I’ve known (and there are many), like to have working relationships. Racing is not going away. I can work to make it better. Just as Anna Sewell knew that workhorses were not going to all be retired, when she wrote Black Beauty, I am a flea in the ear trying to achieve reform. I abhor cruelty to any living creature.
I applaud everything that this site and the people who frequent it are doing. Patrick is a brave, honorable and committed man and he provides us with the most horrific and disturbing information everyday, I cry every time I open his blog. I then use what I learn from this blog to challenge racing and its decisiomakers. There isn’t a person interested in better welfare for race horses who doesn’t treasure the information gathered at this site. This terrible ghastly carnage shouldn’t happen. Two year olds shouldn’t race. Under Tack shows should be banned. Racing should be drug free and horses that can’t race without drugs shouldn’t be racing. My litany of demands for change to the sport is endless. Exposing the carnage is paramount. The realist in me knows the industry isn’t going away, but it needs constant and almost complete reform. Everyone here is contributing to that.
Thank you for sharing your views and thank you for asking me about mine.
.
Your ideas regarding horseracing are making more sense to me now, Susan…now that you’ve said “I grew up with racing”. Value system, indoctrinated beliefs, learning a “norm”…as you said, you grew up with racing. My neighbor’s children grew up learning that keeping horses in a dirt lot the size of my living room with minimal hay not fit for bedding was normal. Skinny, depressed, neglected horses. As adults now, they repeat the abuse. Normal and acceptable for them…they were conditioned for it.
There are so many untruths and irrelevant statements in your last comment. They have all been addressed before since other racing apologists state the very same things. I tire of repeating the truths to racing supporters on this anti-racing blog.
Yes, you can choose to sleep in a tack room (and that proves what?)…but repeating this one more time, not one racehorse chose to live in a stall, 23 hours/day, isolated. And that just scratches the surface of what sentient creatures must endure in this gambling industry that you want to keep alive.
Susan,
I loved the movie “The Black Stallion” and I too thought horses loved to race until I found this website.
Please read the attached article by Patrick and fact sheet on this website.
This is the Number one reason in my mind why horse racing should be abolished.
Equine veterinarian Kraig Kulikowski (statement to the New York State Humane Association):
“A two year old horse is the equivalent to a six year old human. Neither species is mentally or physically mature at this age. Asking a six year old human to be exploited as a professional athlete for economic gain would be considered inhumane. Exploiting juvenile horses for economic gain is equally inhumane. They are subject to permanent mental and physical trauma that, in too many cases, is catastrophic and even fatal.”
http://horseracingwrongs.com/2013/09/15/the-unformed-racehorse/
http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf
Susan,
Racing can go away when enough people are educated to the fact that they are endorsing slave labor and horrific abuse.
Racing can be stopped when people stop gambling on horses lives.
Here is a shining example of what education and protests and lawsuits can do.
_________________________________
Ringling Bros. to give up elephant acts in 3 years from Washington Post March 5th 2015
Ringling Bros will stop abusing elephants in 2018.
“It was a decision 145 years in the making,” said Juliette Feld, referring to P.T. Barnum’s introduction of animals to his “traveling menagerie” in 1870. Elephants have symbolized this circus since Barnum brought an Asian elephant named Jumbo to America in 1882.
the last 13 performing elephants will retire by 2018, joining 29 other pachyderms at the company’s 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida.
But Feld acknowledged that because so many cities and counties have passed “anti-circus” and anti-elephant” ordinances, it’s difficult to organize tours of three traveling circuses to 115 cities each year. Fighting legislation in each jurisdiction is expensive, he said.
Los Angeles prohibited the use of bull-hooks by elephant trainers and handlers last April. Oakland, California, did likewise in December, banning the devices used to keep elephants in control. Last month, the city of Asheville, North Carolina nixed wild or exotic animals from performing in the municipally-owned, 7,600-seat U.S. Cellular Center.
Ingrid E. Newkirk, the president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, says her group made that happen.
“For 35 years PETA has protested Ringling Bros.’ cruelty to elephants,” she wrote in a statement. “We know extreme abuse to these majestic animals occurs every single day, so if Ringling is really telling the truth about ending this horror, it will be a day to pop the champagne corks, and rejoice. … If the decision is serious, then the circus needs to do it NOW.”
http://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/urge-ringling-bros-stop-cruel-elephant-acts-now/?utm_campaign=030515%20Ringling%20Stop%20Cruel%20Elephant%20Acts%20Now%20Not%20Three%20Years%20Email&utm_source=PETA%20E-Mail&utm_medium=Alert
Not true . there is owners that love their horses and consider them family. Yes it is a business but there is good people out there . you have said it all and love that you are a very good person :)
Susan, I have no doubt that you care deeply about TB racehorses just as I do. However, I get tired of continually repeating myself over and over and over. This site is called Horseracing Wrongs not Ruthless People in the Teaching Profession. Yes, there are atrocities in every element of life but one does not have to ignore one in order to address the injustices in another.
I have mentioned this many times here on this blog, but I am not new to the racing industry. I galloped racehorses for a friend of my mother’s back in the 1960’s, even before I could drive. My mom would drop me off at a farm, during the summer months, and I would spend hours with the horses that were shipped there from River Downs. Also, my mom bought me my first horse, an OTTB, in 1963, so, as you can see, I do have a vast amount of experience when it comes to horses. You state that “running is a fine occupation for a Thoroughbred”. Says who? You? To me, there is a difference between running and racing. If a horse is turned out with the herd, and that horse breaks into a canter or gallop, I have no problem with that, but I do have a problem with horses being forced to race. Since you grew up with racing, I’m sure you have heard the phrase “reluctant to load”, but loading them is exactly what happens in the racing industry. They are FORCED to load, whether they want to load or not. As we both know, horses are herd animals and they are also prey animals. They will do whatever it takes to stay with the herd, especially when there is a rider on their back who will not hesitate to use the whip and let’s not forget that the vast majority of those horses are running with injuries and are loaded with drugs. “Pure running is their delight”?…then I would assume you also could say that running with drugs and injuries is “pure delight”. No, Susan, I disagree with you. What I think you are trying to say is that YOU enjoy seeing horses run, in a racing environment, and YOUR enjoyment trumps their enjoyment.
You then state that you have been “horrified” at the changes to racing and it has become an “abominable” sport. I, too, am horrified by the racing industry and I have been for a long time. It is because I am horrified that I have turned against this so called “sport” (I used the word “sport” loosely). I am also horrified at the treatment of puppies in puppy mills. Therefore, I picketed last winter in front of Petland to encourage people NOT to support the puppy mills. I encourage people to rescue/adopt and NOT to buy from breeders because it perpetuates the cruelty. You and I are on different ends of the spectrum. Anytime I am “horrified” by a current practice, I turn against that practice. Racing isn’t necessary. It exists so that somebody can bet. I am NOT against betting, but do what Pete Rose did…bet on baseball, instead.
You believe that horses like to have a job. I’ll never forget those same words emanating from the mouth of the Program Director at New Vocations. She, too, stated that ALL horses need a job even if that job is being a low level broodmare who is bred, over and over, so that more low level horses can be brought into this world. Of course, anyone with half of a brain, knows that there aren’t enough homes for the horses already on this earth but, with her way of thinking, we should bring MORE horses into this world who will end up with nowhere to go. Idiocy at its best! However, I’m glad to know that your dogs like to have a job. I have three dogs, all rescues, and their job is to just enjoy life. You know, Susan, I would put my dogs up against your dogs any day of the week, and I’ll bet my dogs are just as happy as your dogs.
I have heard the pro-racing enthusiasts babble on and on about how they are going to “clean up” racing. Really? How is that working out for them, Susan? Not so well, is it? In fact, I think racing is worse now than it has ever been. Perhaps you have heard of Staci and Arthur Hancock, members of racing “royalty”. They have joined WHOA and want to end race day medications. I have privately communicated with Ms. Hancock and she has told me that she abides by the rules and, even though she knows that race day meds are detrimental to the horses, she still uses them because she, and Mr. Hancock, aren’t breaking any rules. Disgusting, don’t you think? Therefore, I would respect the Hancocks so much more if they just came out and said that the ability to be competitive (winning) is more important than the welfare of their horses. That is the truth. I have no doubt that they will say that they “love” their horses, but certainly not enough to do the right thing for them NOW! Also, we all recently read that Mr. Tom Amoss was caught with an overage when it came to a muscle relaxant drug. Why was his horse running with a muscle relaxant in his system? Did his horse have a strain? If so, the horse should NOT have been racing. The horse should have been resting. Seems incredibly simple to me.
Finally, I applaud your “litany of demands” for change to this sinister and corrupt industry. I actually wish you the “best of luck” in trying to clean up the filth. However, why would anyone, who professes to “love” these animals, tolerate an industry that supports slaughter as the disposal system to get rid of unwanted horses and that is just ONE of the evils within the industry…just ONE! You say that racing should be “drug free’ and I couldn’t agree with you more. However, that will NEVER happen. The traditions in racing go deep. It isn’t just the mint juleps and fancy hats on Derby Day. The tradition/culture includes drugging, maiming, destroying and slaughtering horses in a GAMBLING industry. You say that racing is not going away” and I say that drugs, slaughter, crippling and breaking horses down is NOT going away until the “sport” goes bye bye. You have to hurt these animal exploiters where it hurts the most – in their wallets! Racing is in a precipitous decline and it can’t go away soon enough for me. Therefore, in my opinion. the only way it can be “cleaned up” is to stop the bets on the horses.
And Patrick said it best on his other post concerning the horrific whipping of spent horses – “Sport?…only to the callous or willfully ignorant…”
I disagree Kathleen . a horse is very smart if they don’t want to race they won’t I have seen plenty of excemples . Susan crane-sundell said it right. We just need some that can regulate it better and tougher. And joy such anger which I can understand but you cannot tell susan that her comments are untruths were you there with her ? And if they ban horse racing what do you think would happen with all those horses ??? There is good owners and horses that are happy with what they do ! So maybe take a step back and think before you type your opinions and you might not sound so angry.
G,
4 comments.
i am sure there are people who love their horses to the best of their ability. No one can really know what is in another’s heart. Only God can do that. Nor can you say for sure that horses are happy with running. What we both can agree on is that horses can love the people they are with so they will often do what their owner wants because they love them even if that means the horse is risking death.
Thousands upon thousands of Horses are beat with a whip every month to make them run faster and those same horses are drugged to make them run so i disagree with your statement .
i do not think Joy sounds angry at all. Joy has witnessed countless horses getting abused and we all, including Joyce, have a right to be upset with the abuse we have seen at the racetrack. i thought her comments were very balanced and honest.
if people stopped racing horses, they would stop breeding horses for racing.
http://www.jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=FB&area=2
G.
The goal of this website is to see horseracing end. It is the only website that has this goal that I have found. There are many people on this list that have that goal and hold that vision.
I have seen people come and go on this list that are pro racing that are Very critical and judgmental of those who want to stop racing and most of the people that are a part of this list do not comment at all when pro racing people come along and criticize those on this list because they do not want to argue with anyone. they are here to learn about the horses that have died or been injured on the track or they are here to help rescue horses.
Both Mary and Joy have worked incredibly hard to help rescue horses for many, many years. You may personally know people that you believe love race horses. Joy and Mary personally know people that have viciously abused race horses and sent these race horses to slaughterhouses to die a horrific death. Some of these terrible people do not want their horses to be rescued because they do not want anyone to know how badly these horses have been injured, drugged and abused.
I am here to learn and to help share this web site with thousands of others in order to help expand awareness and to help stop the abuse one horse at a time until horse racing is ended completely.
There is no show here. There are only people who love horses and who want to stop the abuse at the racetrack forever.
Ms. G/Mr. G…whatever you are….yes, you are correct. Joy is angry because of the atrocities that she has seen over the years. Ask her how many broken down horses she “rescued” from racing…how many? How many had to be euthanized? How many? SHE didn’t destroy them, but the industry that I assume YOU support did destroy them. I’m angry, too, “G”, and I am NOT going to take a step back and think before I type the FACTS here on this blog. YOU, and your colleagues, should be angry at the way these horses are treated, even by those who profess to love them.
You are a joke…a joke! You state…we (meaning the racing industry) just need some time to regulate it better. Wow! You have had plenty of time to get up off your ass and make things better for the horses…plenty of time. Oh, and go back and read Horsemanship 101 where you will learn that horses are herd animals as well as prey animals. They give their all to stay with the herd/group even if they are running on three legs. I bet they just “love” crossing that finish line on three legs, don’t you think “G”? Do you think they just “love” racing with chips/fractures? What about snapping their legs off? That sounds like fun, too!
Mary…since you’ve seen firsthand the abuse and exploitation that runs rampant in the racing industry, and since then, have done the humane and compassionate thing by rightfully turning against this gambling industry that daily maims and kills horses, you can also fully understand the anger those of us who have a beating heart feel. And I have no problem exclaiming I have rage. But for the folks like this “g”, it’s very clear there’s no need to waste our valuable time explaining something that he/she cannot grasp.
Excellent points Mary.
I Just watched another heartbreaking story about yet another race horse that died young after winning a lot of money because of a prior injury.
it is easy to sit back and say that the industry needs to be regulated and then go back to ones life. It is much harder to go and take action and rescue these horses like Joy has been doing for all these years. Joy takes action. Joy has witnessed years of abuse and she keeps fighting for the horses even though it is heartbreaking to witness such abuse up front and deal with race horse owners like the man who had bought Exceller, another famous racehorse. that owner insisted he be killed even though someone wanted to buy him.
http://espn.go.com/horse/columns/misc/1589423.html
The woman who befriended Exceller in his years at the farm told a wrenching story of the horse’s final moments as he was led to slaughter, when he heard the screams and caught wind of the smell of blood. “I made an appointment (at the slaughterhouse) because I wanted to get it over with quick,” she told the Daily Racing Form, “but they were very busy when we got there and we had to wait. Exceller knew what was going on; he didn’t want to be there. Standing with him like that … it made me feel like Judas.”
Okay guys come on get some class joy and Kathleen and Mary you guys all have your opinions and the right to express but don’t put down other people with their opinions. I wouldn’t have even comment if I didn’t know anything about horse’s and the industry. AND you do not know me so don’t even try to insult me Mary because you are upset with the industry ! I don’t insult you even though I don’t agree with you tone down your passion and some people might actually learn something and agree with you . Susan crane sundell is the only one that talk with class . I can clearly see it is the Mary ,Kathleen, joy show so enjoy . Also the waste would be on you guys not me :) oh and Mary I do get off my ass ;)
One question Mary do you get off your ass and do anything to help ? beside just posting articles ? If you do then I applaud you . But use your passion and go after the bigger guys instead of us . enjoy your self . I have wasted enough time with you guys. :)
“G”, yes, to answer your question, I DO get up off my ass to help the horses destroyed by YOUR industry. I spent years on the backside of a low level track helping horses that were in danger of being “discarded”…you know, the ones that are no longer able to produce revenue when their owners/trainers race them into the ground. I actually own seven “rescues” including two TB’s that were INSIDE Richelieu, a Canadian slaughterhouse. Their names are Cactus Café and Canuki. I spend thousands, yes, thousands, of dollars every year in an attempt to “save” a few from a grisly death on the slaughterhouse floor. By the way, why should I get up off my ass to help the horses that YOUR industry destroys? Aren’t those who make their living in the industry responsible for that? If I had an animal that I ran into the ground, I wouldn’t reach out to the pro-racing apologists and ask them to clean up MY problem. I would put on my “big girl pants” and take care of that problem myself.
Also, “G”. you seem a bit confused. You tell me to use my “passion and go after the bigger guys instead of us”. Let me be clear. I am NOT interested in cleaning up the racing industry…again….I am NOT interested in cleaning up racing. If the “hot shots” in racing can’t clean it up, there is no doubt in my mind that I won’t be able to do so, nor will you and the other pro-racing apologists. If racing could be cleaned up, someone would have done it by now. Therefore, what do I want? I want racing to go away FOREVER! Got it? Perhaps you have heard of Bill Casner although most in the industry have the “deer in the headlights” look whenever his name is mentioned so let me tell you that he is a racing insider. Casner says that racing is “permeated” with those who have no regard for the horse…yes, “permeated”. Sickening…and that comment comes from someone who is pro-racing.
Finally, you say that Ms. Crane-Sundell is the only one “that talk with class”. (By the way, it is “talks” with class!). This is what Ms. Crane-Sundell says about racing on this blog. It is “an abominable sport”….”the ghastly carnage shouldn’t happen”…”exposing the carnage is paramount”….racing “needs constant and almost complete reform”. Those are powerful statements and I totally agree. However, I personally don’t believe that racing will ever clean up the filth unless it is forced to do so and the easiest way to accomplish that goal is to stop betting on the horses.
Mary…again, what you say is absolute truth…there is not an ounce of doubt about that. But I want to encourage you once again, don’t waste your time with low-level racing industry employees like this “g”. Folks like “g” need their jobs in the industry to eek out a living…most of them know nothing else. And instead of doing the right thing and learning something else, they continue to deny the killing they are a part of and stay in the despicable industry. They have a vested interest in the existence of horseracing and will say or do anything to keep their jobs.
A horse does not want to race when he resists going into the gate. No matter how much he resists loading he will be FORCED . in, so it does not matter how smart he is or how much he does not want to race. Further, when the horse starts to slow down during a race due to pain or fatigue he will be WHIPPED. I have seen plenty examples !!
G,
If you had a child that had been sold into slavery, physically abused and drugged and ended up murdered, you would be outraged.
Many of us on this list see these horses as children (because they are) that have been sold into slavery,
drugged and physically abused and many (thousands upon thousands) every year end up dead.
All these horses are on dangerous drugs (lasix, bute, etc)
Patrick started this list when he found out the abuse that was going on at the race track and he too wants racing abolished.
Horse abuse is a very upsetting subject for many of us. We will never change our mind no matter how many times we are belittled.
I cry every time I watch the story of Ferdinand and of how he was led to slaughter after winning millions of dollars for those who owned him. They sold him and walked away.
I feel like crying every time I watch the races on HRTV on the weekend as the horses are beat repeatedly in race after race after race.
The claiming races are especially upsetting to me because these horses for the most part do not even have owners that profess to love them.
Horse racing truly is slave labor and should be abolished just lie slavery was. It took a war to end slavery.
I believe it will take enlightenment and prayer to stop horse racing.
My vow is to help
#stophorse racingforever
This heartlessly titled article was posted in 2003 on espn.
Another online source that does not care at all about the welfare of horses as clearly seen in the title of this article
“Separating the studs from duds”
They praise the horses when they are winning and disrespect them if they do not create more winners on the battlefield called the racetrack to feed the money and the gambling addiction..
The list is interesting to read. I wonder if there are any updated articles on retired winners.
Unbelievable disrespect.
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=1590231
Beyond the finish line
Long after their racing days are over, thoroughbreds often enjoy successful second careers at stud. But some stakes winners prove to be duds at stud. Here’s a look at the careers of the past 25 Kentucky Derby winners:
There are stories about some of these horses on a show called “Inside Information” on HRTV
Just one example:
Swale
Eight days after winning the Belmont Stakes, Swale collapsed and died after a morning workout. He was buried in a silk lined coffin at Claiborne Farm.
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=1590231
Injuries take their toll on 3-year-old stars
By Marcus Hersh
So much for big dreams. Thanks to an injured tendon, the only post-Triple Crown plans being made for I’ll Have Another concerned stud duty. And the early exit of 2012’s leading 3-year-old is fittingly, unfortunately representative of the entire class. This is the time of year when the best 3-year-olds are supposed to be moving into stakes races against older horses, wending their way toward the Breeders’ Cup, just like Reddam had planned. But before the best horses of this crop could match up against their elders, they dropped like flies.
Twenty-nine horses either won a graded stakes prep for the Triple Crown or finished in the top four in one of the Triple Crown races. By Sept. 20, only seven of those horses were in a racing pattern, though four others posted workouts in September and could start soon (see chart on page 9). Research into a decade’s worth of Triple Crown hopefuls and competitors shows that this crop actually has not lost a radically high number of horses before autumn. But the fact that nearly all the class’s most talented horses have fallen has invigorated discussion about the sturdiness of the modern Thoroughbred and the toll caused by the Triple Crown season.
n January, February, and March, Todd Pletcher held great cards. He had Algorithms, El Padrino, and Gemologist to go along with speedier-type colts such as Thunder Moccasin. Algorithms and El Padrino are training again but have yet to work since going to the sidelines. Gemologist is back on the farm after one poor summer race.
In California, Bob Baffert was loaded in the pre-Triple Crown period. He had Drill, Castaway, and Secret Circle. Then Bodemeister emerged, followed by Paynter. None of those horses will be racing anytime soon. At least Fed Biz, who got hurt in February before he could start in a stakes race, has returned to action and is going well.
“I’m down to Fed Biz,” Baffert said of his 3-year-old class. “He’s the last of the Mohicans.”
Union Rags finally displayed his ballyhooed talent winning the Belmont over Paynter. He promptly suffered a tendon injury and was retired.
Two-year-old champion Hansen made it until August before he, too, was hurt and taken off the track for good.
Though not by an extreme amount, the rate of 3-year-old attrition in 2012 is on pace to be the highest in at least a decade, and the temptation is to fit the situation into what has become a common racing narrative – the demise of the Thoroughbred. Horses aren’t as tough as they used to be, this line of thinking goes. Drugs have weakened the breed. But it’s hard to pin the 2012 burnout rate on any one factor, and statistics from the last decade don’t even strongly support the idea that this is anything more than an especially unfortunate year.
http://www.drf.com/news/injuries-take-their-toll-3-year-old-stars
Part two on this story from drf 09/27/2012
“The trend is now not to train too hard,” Jerkens said. “And horses just don’t seem to be as tough as they used to.”
Arthur Hancock III, the longtime Kentucky owner and breeder, agrees with Jerkens.
“I know that horses are much, much, much weaker today than they used to be,” said Hancock, 69, who has co-owned two Kentucky Derby winners, Sunday Silence and Gato Del Sol, and two more colts who finished second in the race.
Hancock lands dead center in the current hay, oats, and water movement. To him, the decline of the 3-year-old class of 2012 is tied directly to the decline of the American racehorse in general.
“Horses that run in the Triple Crown, they get Lasix from the time they’re first starting as 2-year-olds. They get Lasix, and they get their Bute before every race,” he said, referring to phenylbutazone, a race-day legal, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. “The horses are trained now pretty much the same way, but you’ve got five generations that have been running on drugs. I think the drugs have weakened the breed.”
The young 3-year-old truly suited to the Triple Crown grind is a rare individual. Pletcher rightly points out the difficulty of keeping a horse of any age in top form through an entire year, but things get especially dicey with 3-year-olds.
“We are asking them to peak physically at a time when they’re skeletons are still developing,” said noted equine surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage. “A horse’s cardiovascular system is so good, that can get to a point of maturity before their skeleton does. In humans it’s the heart and lungs that are the limiting factor in young athletes. People don’t have to double the size of their shins before they become really good athletes.”
Complete story
http://www.drf.com/news/injuries-take-their-toll-3-year-old-stars
I wonder Where are these horses now ??
Injuries take their toll on 3-year-old stars
By Marcus Hersh
Class of 2012 status report
16 out of 29 of these horses were injured.
http://www.drf.com/news/injuries-take-their-toll-3-year-old-stars
Speaking of injuries. What is this ?
These are not actual accurate numbers.
Supplemental Tables of Equine Injury Database Statistics for Thoroughbreds (January 1st thru Dec. 31st for each year listed.
Jockey Club Releases Fatality Figures From Equine Injury Database
http://jockeyclub.com/pdfs/eid_6_year_tables.pdf
http://jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=Advocacy&area=11
Participants designated with an * have made summarized fatality statistics available. These statistics include fatal injuries of Thoroughbreds that occurred during a race as reported by veterinary officials and includes Thoroughbreds that succumbed to a race-related injury within 72 hours after the race day. Some racetracks provide information for Quarter Horses and other breeds; however, statistics released by The Jockey Club are for Thoroughbreds only.
Yes last week the Jockey Club released their six year study on Thoroughbred injury rates by surface, distance and age. My first reaction is that these figures look incredibly low.They need review. Patrick, with all your tabulations and the advocates in each state that I know and share info with I think there could definitely be discrepancies and not to the side of optimism. (I feel that one death is one death too many.) Your work is truly important in challenging the industry. This study bears a thorough review and scrutiny.
Susan,
Here is what Patrick said about the Jockey Club data base
______________________________________________
Patrick Battuello
March 19, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Kathleen, the JC database is strictly voluntary – not all tracks participate. What’s more, those that do have no third party confirming their numbers. Bottom line – dead horses are bad for business, so they (state racing commissions, tracks, individual horsemen, and yes, even the JC) have a vested interest in submitting under-reported kill rates. I put no stock in the JC database.
I went away for the weekend. whew! Somebody take the matches away before the house burns down. All of what everyone says makes sense. But why wallop people with whom you have some common ground? If i attacked everyone who wasn’t in perfect alignment with me on every single issue I would never be able to cooperate with anyone to get ANYTHING done! I’d be considered to be uncooperative in every way and lose everything I wanted to accomplish.and gain no ground at all. Why does everyone consider it a foregone conclusion that they can discern the thought process of everyone else or is it just that there is too much emotion present to even care to ask. Dialogue and listening work. When I worked on technology reform to help integrate technology into schools, I had some pretty strange bedfellows. They were people that I didn’t agree with politically or socially on a number of issues. I chose to band together with them on a specific issue to get something accomplished. I chose to participate in the coalition because we wanted to get technology into rural and poor urban schools.
I work with dogs- do you think that because of my political persuasion that I refuse to help and rehome dogs because there are Libertarians in the group or fiscal conservatives or whatever? No I want to help greyhounds find homes. So I wash dogs with Libertarians- and you know sometimes i even find I have something in common with them.
Let me tell you something I know to be true. Alienating people who agree with you on seventy five percent of an issue weakens your ability to get any goals accomplished.
Coalitions to get things changed cooperate when they can. I got many things accomplished in my life by striving for common ground. Whatever you believe, it’s lonely and non-constructive to alienate those who would join with you in common cause.
I pull horses off of kill lots with many other people. Some of them are people I could argue with politically all day, but when it comes time to throw down whatever money is available and get that worn out almost dead too sick to be frightened used up broodmare out of the kill pen and get her to warmth and safety and vet care and feed, I don’t argue with these people, i ask where is the trailer? What farm are we heading to? Let me load her and here’s my cash.
Come on people,don’t alienate those who are working for a similar cause. Even if you’re as rich as George Bazos and think you’re as invincible as the Koch brothers seem to think they are, there is still power in numbers.
There’s some commonality here and nothing gets solved in a day.
Susan,
Your posts have been balanced and you have not been critical so I am not saying this about you but there are other pro racing people that come on this list and just try to pick a fight and try to get us to see that racing can be cleaned up.
I do Not see anyone here trying to burning down a house. Everyone I know and care about on this list love horses and want to see horse racing end.
Patrick, Joy and Mary and others on this list have seen horrific abuse in the horse racing world so they are passionate about stopping horse racing. So am I.
I have seen videos of horses being murdered while still alive at the slaughter houses so I am very passionate about stopping horse slaughter and stopping horse racing because I cannot stand to watch horses getting beat with a whip in Every race and getting drugged at every race and then (in thousands of instances) getting viciously murdered.
I feel that Joy spoke in a very kind loving manner in all of her posts. Mary is always more animated and fiery in the way she speaks and she acknowledges that she is really angry about what she has seen. I appreciate both of them greatly for their hard work and passion in helping horses.
Mary, Joy and I were accused of not having any class because we spoke our minds and the person that said that disagreed with what Joy and Mary said and did not like my point of view either which is that I agreed with their points of view. I gather facts and stats about horses that I have learned about and I was called someone with no class and the person that said that spoke in a very condescending tone.
None of us are trying to burn down houses. We are passionate about stopping horse racing.
Susan, for the second time, I do believe you care about the TB racehorse just as I care about the TB racehorse. However, you seem to think that we share “common ground”. Just to be clear…I want racing to go away forever…yes, I want racing to die. I no longer want racing to be “cleaned up” because it can’t be “cleaned up”. I am NOT attacking/walloping you but I am making a statement that doesn’t align with your goals so I can assume that we are NOT on common ground. However, at least you recognize that there are many atrocities within the industry. What I find especially troubling is the fact that you know that racing is a dirty industry yet you still support it. Racing destroys horses, horses that you love, yet you seem to think that, through dialogue, racing will suddenly clean up its act. It isn’t going to happen. Not now, not ever!
I’m not sure why you brought politics into this conversation. I am a conservative and proud to be one yet I work along side many people who have liberal views when it comes to helping animals. I couldn’t care less what political beliefs you have or don’t have. Just to clear up confusion on your part, I, too, have pulled horses off kill lots and never once did I question the kill buyer’s political views when doing so. I have just as much experience as you do, probably more, and I can tell you that I have brought many horses into my barn over the years. As we all know, that is the difficult part of rescue….opening up your barn doors. Sitting on your butt and writing a check is the easy part.
I honestly don’t think you, and your colleagues, who think they can “clean up” racing, have a clue. You say that there is still “power in numbers” so why haven’t you been able to make an impact in the racing industry? You don’t need me to work for a cause that is close to your heart, especially since we have divergent views on racing. Joy shared a great example when she mentioned ABR. Many good people were banned by Mr. Brown when they challenged him and the racing industry, Posters either agreed with Brown or they were GONE. His moderators were like trolls…big fish in the tiny Barbaro pond…but ABR continued anyway. At least Patrick allows differences in opinions and that is the way it should be. However, don’t be fooled. We do NOT want to reform racing…we want it to go away.
And for those who really believe that they can change racing for the better, here is something for their reading enjoyment….
http://horseracingwrongs.com/2015/03/17/the-inevitability-of-dead-racehorses/
Susan…”don’t alienate those who are working for a similar cause”. True. And we are clearly not working for a similar cause. You want racing to continue, “we” want it to end…our intense desires are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Outside of that very basic, one objective – seeing the horse racing industry end – I could not care less about the wants, desires, beliefs, political views, etc. of those I work alongside to bring that objective to fruition.
I’m assuming you’ve visited a pro-racing/racehorse “advocate” site started a number of years ago by an industry employee when Barbaro was injured. There was zero-tolerance to my anti-racing comments there, even though I was helping horses out of extremely precarious situations. No different here…our very basic agendas are completely different…our goals are not the same. That site (I believe) has carried on quite well without my help. The same will be true of HW. We can all carry on saving horses discarded from this industry. But WE choose to work towards stopping the source of all of those discarded horses. You do not.
Whatever one’s views, we are still all addressing slaughter- it’s the seventh circle of hell- I see that as common ground. I would stand with all and any of you on this issue, whether it’s a Thoroughbred or a Percheron being sent live to Japan in a small inhumane crate, three to wooden box, to be consumed as sashimi on the hoof.
I consider that common ground. I’d be willing to work to stop transport to Canada or Mexico with any of you in a coalition. I’d be ready and willing to step up and rescue horses with you all anytime!
That seems like common ground to me.
Sometimes common ground isn’t as vast as a mountain range, sometimes it is just a small hill-but it is still a shared belief. All I’m saying is that in times our advocacy is conjoined and we should all respect that and ban together for the welfare of the horses.
Alex is a friend of mine. He and I don’t agree on everything either, but we certainly agree that laminitis needs to be researched, studied and funded so that better treatment and eventually a cure can be found