I have confirmed that both horses who were reported vanned off in the 3rd last night at Charles Town are in fact dead. 2-year-old Lovin It, who fell on the first turn, was euthanized on the track; 3-year-old Fuzz, who went down over his crumpled “rival,” was euthanized back in the barn. This was Lovin It’s sixth time under the whip – all for trainer/owner/breeder Leslie Condon. As for Fuzz, in his only other race, he was “reluctant to load” – last of 10. Trainer, Gerald Coker; owner Gary Hemp.
To those who wager on horseracing, we implore you to reconsider. And ultimately, you hold all the cards: no more bets, no more races; no more races, no more kills. And, no more separating foals and moms, no more abusing unformed bodies, no more confining, no more whipping, no more drugging, no more doping, no more buying and selling and trading and dumping. No more auctions, no more kill-buyers, no more transport trucks, no more abattoirs. No more pain, no more suffering. No more.
In a landscape that abounds with other gambling options – casinos, lotteries, real sports involving autonomous human beings – hasn’t the time at long last arrived to let the racing horse be? You, the bettor, have within the capacity for mercy. We ask only that you exercise it. Please. For the horses.
Well said Patrick everyone I talk to I ask or already know they don’t gamble I talk about adopting a horse to save a life love to get the word out my social circle are all animal lovers the non horse track bettors are NOT aware of the abuse deaths and slaughter pipeline I do what I can to inform and educate thumbs up to you and your website
Thank you, Anne.
I hope this poor foal is traced to the racing industry. They will be able to identify its breed. Someone in that district knows of a mare that foaled and its foal is missing. No consideration for its mother and no dignity for this beautiful creature thanks to the amoral breeding in the racing industry. If it is in fact a racing foal, maybe then the Humane Society might give some serious consideration to its incomprehensible policy of not being against horseracing.
I query this Society’s ethos. See link below –
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/35453/foal-carcass-discarded-on-michigan-roadside?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=welfare-industry&utm_campaign=03-12-2015
Carolyn,
The loss of this poor baby is tragic and saddens me. Who could be so heartless to discard a beautiful, feeling creature so inhumanely. The insensitivity shakes me to my core. I pray they catch this person and prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law, and then some. Marlene Thornley
God bless you, Patrick, you said it all so profoundly. I’m sharing this one on my Facebook page, hope that’s okay.
Yes, of course. In fact, I encourage it. Thank you.
It must have been a hideous spectacle because the race has been obliterated from the track record on their site. A two year old should never run against a three year old in a field under any circumstances. Racing can be brutal enough, and two tear olds shouldn’t be racing period. What a nightmare. A two year old with six starts by March? That poor baby was trained by the reincarnation of Simon LaGree. Lovin It Leslie Conden? Love had nothing to do with it.
To be clear, the industry had Lovin It as three; I age according to actual birthdays (his was March 29th).
This industry has so many fools running the show. Back in December, at Charles Town, when Winningaswespeak clipped heels, fell, got up and started running the wrong way on the track, eventually colliding with Frisky Dixie who then suffered a broken shoulder and had to be euthanized, the warning system wasn’t activated…because “the button to push was three doors down a hallway”. Fools. So why doesn’t this warning system (which is to alert jockeys to pull up their mounts/stop racing in the event of an accident, a loose horse running the wrong way, or other mishap) have its switch installed where it NEEDS to be? But wait, there’s more.
After that fiasco of the “button” being unavailable, the chief steward at Charles Town – Danny Wright – stated; “The functionality of the system is not in question. It’s state-of-the-art.” Wright goes on to say; “We will be better prepared to implement the emergency policy if this should ever happen again.”
(Here, the Paulick Report link to the article from which the above information and quotes were taken from … http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/charles-town-accident-warning-system-switch-not-in-stewards-room/)
Oh really, Danny Wright?…your warning system is state-of-the-art? So NOW what’s your excuse when your state-of-the-art system IS turned on yet three jockeys continue riding to the wire? This time, steward Bob Lotts said the riders didn’t see the lights and didn’t hear the warning alarm. That state-of-the-art system….not seen nor heard. We’ve all heard the joke about stewards being the 3 blind mice. Guess that applies to jockeys, as well. Blind and deaf. Or they just don’t give a damn.
(Here, the DRF link to the article regarding the above information … http://www.drf.com/news/charles-town-race-ruled-no-contest-after-spill)
Absolute fools.