The following horses were casualties on American tracks last week. This list, however, includes only raceday victims, for while I’d prefer to submit a more complete reckoning, the training carnage is almost entirely covered up.
Reported as died, euthanized, or “broke down” – racing-speak for dead:
Elena’s Dreamboy, Mountaineer
Wild Kiss, Tampa Bay
Reported as “vanned off” – left via ambulance, a better-than-even chance of dead:
Golden Friendships, Gulfstream
My Irish Star, Turf
Irish Media, Gulfstream
Big Town, Aqueduct
Rovavevi, Gulfstream
Riding the River, Gulfstream
El Commodore, Santa Anita (subsequently confirmed dead)
Spade Cooley, Sunland
Wdc the Fire Man, Sunland
Mozelle’s Peace, Charles Town
Run Nice Boy, Fonner
No Act, Gulfstream
Sacred Ovation, Santa Anita
Tin Can Soldier, Sunland
Rheggibobbi, Tampa Bay
Stevie B, Turf
Evening Light, Turf
Twisted Zing, Turfway
Brite Desire, Fair Grounds
Friends Pro, Gulfstream
Macho Mio, Laurel
Red Man Run, Los Alamitos
La Reine’s Wager, Parx
Other:
Salsa Queen, Tampa Bay, “stumbled badly,” DNF
Rynwelski, Tampa Bay, “hit rail,” DNF
That Aint No Lady, Charles Town, fell, DNF
Track Telling, Tampa Bay, fell, DNF
Iron Media, Tampa Bay, fell, DNF (subsequently confirmed dead)
Uncontrolled, Turfway, bled
Dickinson, Aqueduct, “stumbled badly falling to his face,” DNF
Smoke Harbor, Fonner, “returned bleeding from the nostrils”
Christians Milagro, Rillito, “flipped in gate,” DNF
Patrick,
Thank you for taking the time to compile this list.
Patrick, I know you & I are on opposite side of the fence when it comes to horse racing 0 but if you could find out any information on Twisted Zing I would appreciate it. I was at Turfway Saturday and saw him being loaded onto the ambulance – he was favoring his left front significantly but the leg didn’t look to be broker – last I saw he was standing in the ambulance – I just don’t know if he was euthanized or not. Thank you for the work you do.
I will certainly try, but I am finding Kentucky very difficult to deal with. When I put in a FOIA request on their 2014 euthanized, the Gaming Commission said they have no such listing. In other words, they know the number of deaths (16, supposedly), but not who the horses were. Imagine that.
Patrick,
Who can we call to complain. Is there anyone we can call ?
The Gaming Commission ? THey should not be able to get away with this.
In Kentucky.
They do not know the names of the horses that have died ??
In Kentucky
Where they Have the Kentucky Derby and bring in millions and millions of dollars each year !!
Everyone on this list should pick up the phone and ask very politely to know what horses have died and what are their names.
_______________________________________________________________
The Money Behind The Kentucky Derby – Hundreds of Millions (or More)
By Jon C. Ogg May 3, 2014 11:25 am EDT
The Kentucky Derby is one of those events that pulls in viewers who never even bother with watching horse racing any other days of the year. It is also represented as the oldest sports spectacle in America. This 140th running is also a huge event as far as money is concerned to the economy.
Perhaps the biggest winner itself is Churchill Downs Inc. (NASDAQ: CHDN). This public horse betting track owner hosts the Derby, and this company’s value is now up to $1.58 billion. It even pays a dividend, but only about 1% for a yield. This company’s second quarter revenue in 2013 was $283.77 million, and the Thomson Reuters consensus for the second quarter of 2014 is $313 million, with a range of $308 million to $323 million. To put this in perspective, this quarter’s $313 million in revenue is expected to be 37% of the expected annual revenue of $839 million. This is Christmas for Churchill Downs! Also, its shares rose 2.2% this last week ahead of the event.
Betting is, of course, huge. A figure shown on CNN showed that total betting at the 2013 Kentucky Derby was more than $130 million. That does not include the “gentlemen’s bets” amongst friends and pooled bets around the country that are off the books and never counted.
Attendance in 2013 was more than 151,000 versus a record in 2012 of almost 165,000. Tickets can cost you literally almost as much as you want to spend — hundreds or thousands of dollars. Even if you just use a base of $100, that would be $416 million for tickets alone, without parking fees.
http://247wallst.com/casinos-hotels/2014/05/03/the-money-behind-the-kentucky-derby-hundreds-of-millions-or-more/
Britt05….I’m not sure what you think a horse’s broken leg would look like (“it didn’t look to be broken”)…but I can assure you from years of experience and seeing countless fractured limbs, there is no specific “look”. Horses run with fractures and the fans are none the wiser. Only the knowledgable might pick up on it in how the horse is traveling…certainly not from how it “looks”.
Thank you, Patrick, for your tireless work and incredible tolerance. You’re all class.
I guess what I meant to say is that there wasn’t a visible break and it was hard to see from where I was standing, but he was definitely favoring his left front. Like I said – I will do research as well and see what I can find.
Britto, I would suggest that you call the Kentucky Racing Commission and DEMAND to know what happened to Twisted Zing. As a racing supporter, and bettor, the KRC is more likely to divulge info to you than to any of us who are trying to shut down this horrific industry.
Also, Joy is correct. Oftentimes, it is difficult to ascertain the severity of an injury just by looking at the leg. As we all know, horses have continued to race on three legs.
Britto5 may i suggest that you phone the owner directly, if at all possible. You could also phone the trainer and if he’s not available, one of his workers might know the situation with Twisted Zing.
Yea, they aren’t that transparent when it come to reporting the number of deaths – go figure, but I’ll do research too – thank you Patrick
What does DNF mean?
Did Not Finish
Thank you.
(smh)….just looking at these horses’ names, wondering about them, what their lives are like…how they deserve to be living like my horses live, or Mary’s, or Rose’s, or the others here who truly value their equine family members for simply who they are…horses that are loved, with a herd, nothing expected of them…
So I look at the names and some of them I need to look up…Riding the River – such a beautiful name. He’s an 8 y/o bay gelding, a MGSW, the 2012 Champion Grass Horse, and the winner of nearly a million. And a freaking MILLION DOLLARS STILL WASN’T ENOUGH TO GIVE HIM A LIFE HE DESERVES. Riding the River…I hope and pray that you’re alive, that someone is going to take you home, and that you get a family. I am so sorry.
Run Nice Boy. He’s not even three years old, yet…a little dark bay gelding who, if he’s still alive, will turn 3 on April 22.
Run Nice Boy was pulled up and vanned off in his very FIRST RACE. And in his very FIRST RACE, he was running on BUTE and LASIX.
First race, on bute and lasix.
Evening Light and Stevie B, two 2012 fillies in the same race, pulled up and vanned off. Both on Lasix. First start for both. Nine 3 y/o’s in this race, all but one on Lasix. Amazing how many bleeders there are.
I have received an update on Twisted Zing via MAry Scollay DVM of the KHRC – “Twisted Zing sustained a non-life threatening soft tissue injury. While likely a racing career ending injury, after appropriate rest and rehabilitation this type of injury usually affords a horse a second career, albeit one with lower athletic demands.”
Britto5,
The question I have is will they give TWISTED ZING the time to heal or will they sell him to someone that will send him to slaughter.
Kevin Silverlaspia was a thoroughbred horse from the most royal of racing blood.
He was a direct descendant of the last two Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew and Secretariat.
He was injured and he was only five. He was sent to a slaughterhouse and the reporter did not even have the decency to call the original owner/breeder and let them know he was there. He is now dead.
http://www.nbc4i.com/story/27417951/nbc4-investigates-champion-horses-sent-to-slaughter
Kathleen, on the blog about all the “good folk” in racing, you made a comment about Kevin Silverlaspia and mentioned that the reporter didn’t even have the decency to call the original owner/breeder in order to save the horse. I replied to your comment but I think you may have missed it since there were close to 80 comments on that page. Just to bring you up to speed, Kevin went through the Sugarcreek auction which is here in Ohio. Every Friday, hundreds of horses are run through that auction. Also, keep in mind that approximately 20,000 TB’s are sent to slaughter every year. What happened to Kevin was truly tragic, but I have a real issue with you blaming the reporter. Put the blame where it should be placed…on the OWNER! Here is what I posted on the subject that I think you may have missed…
“Kathleen, surely you are joking, aren’t you? Even if the breeder had a contract with a clause saying that the horse must be returned to him/her, do you really think that would have insured Kevin’s safety? Horses don’t travel to auctions with their papers and contracts. Most TB’s go directly to kill. They do NOT go through auctions. By the way, there were hundreds of horses at Sugarcreek that day…hundreds. What about those horses? Is Kevin more valuable than they are? Should the reporter have “saved” all those horses, too? Is that the reporter’s job to “save” horses discarded by their owners? Many want to blame and point fingers but let’s put the blame with the person responsible…the person who sent the horse to his death…the OWNER.
There are very few breeders who step up for the horses that need help. A few years ago, I reached out to Brett Jones, of Airdrie Stud, and asked for his help to “save” a TB stallion by the name of Slade. Slade won $225,000 for his connections yet was damaged beyond repair by those that owned and raced him. Jones politely declined to help us…he didn’t give us a nickel…he didn’t give us a dime. It was up to Joy and me to “save” this horse. I brought him into my barn and cared for him for three weeks until he was humanely euthanized. He was only eight and damaged beyond repair. Perhaps you would like to read Slade’s story which was written by Joy and posted on this blog as a Shedrow Secrets story. Keep in mind that Slade is NOT the exception. This same story plays out every single day in the racing industry.
http://horseracingwrongs.com/2013/09/21/shedrow-secrets-slade/
Also, how disappointing to compare the reporter to Ray Paulick who is a “hired gun” in the racing industry. I personally believe that the reporter, whom I thanked for the story, showed the ugly side of racing to those here in central Ohio. The general public is clueless when it comes to the atrocities that occur behind closed doors. Paulick, in the meantime, talks out of both sides of his mouth and makes his living on the destruction of horses. Despicable, at best.
Oh, and by the way, I am following a couple of low level horses that may need some help getting out of racing. If we can acquire these two horses, I will reach out to you so that you can contact former owners and breeders and ask them to step up to the plate. Perhaps you will have better luck than I have had.”
Kathleen, Ms. Moss shared her email with you on the “good folk” blog. Moss previously owned a horse by the name of Tricolette. Please reach out to Moss and ask her to “save” this horse because the horse is with Jeff Radosevich. I know Jake Radosevich, who used to race his horses at Beulah Park, and it was well known that his horses often ended up in a bad place. Tricolette is NOT safe with Jeff Radosevich. Can you make sure that Moss does the right thing for a horse that she previously owned? Thank you….
Here is the info on Tricolette….
From Joy….bellesforeverr…you might want to have Ms. Moss get busy rescuing one of her former horses she willingly sold to a scammer. The horse, Tricolette, is with Jeff Radosevich…at least as of 2-18-15 when Tricolette finished over 24 lengths behind in a 5K claiming race at Mahoning. Here’s what Radosevich has to say about horses like Tricolette; Radosevich says a horse won’t be in his stable for long if it isn’t a winner, and that he has no favorites.
And Tricolette is certainly not a winner…and not a favorite of Radosevich’s OR Moss’…
http://www.cleveland.com/horseracing/index.ssf/2009/04/thistledowns_opening_week_rado.html
From Me to bellesforeverr…bellesforeverr, since you support Ms. Moss, I assume she supports you, as well. Please reach out to her immediately and ask for her help with Tricolette. I know the Radosevich family and the father, Jake, has been sending horses to slaughter for years. In fact, Anna Ford, the Program Director at New Vocations, once told me that Jake’s wife, Shelly, would try to occasionally “save” one of her husband’s horses and send that horse to New Vocations. I realize Joy is talking about Jeff but they are ALL cut from the same mold. If a horse can’t produce, the horse is GONE
Mary,
I have heard different stories of horses being found at the auction house and the owners were called and they did come and rescue the horse.
One of those owners appeared before Congress. She had thought her horse had gone to a good home and had no idea she was being sent to an auction.
I have read other stories where horses were rescued, the previous owners were called and they were very grateful to the person that rescued their horse as they did think it had gone to a good home and had no idea it was at a slaughterhouse.
I believe that the reporter could have contacted the owner and that would have given them the opportunity to rescue that horse. It would have added more to the story and could have taught more owners a valuable lesson
I even know of a reporter who rescued a race horses and have then written about those racehorse.
I also know of a reporter who is the one that tracked down where Ferdinand went and who broke the story that he had been slaughtered. It is my understanding that put her in job in jeopardy by doing so.
I did read Slades story and i did respond with several posts.
I tried to contact that reporter to find out why she did not contact the owner. If you have her information, i would love to talk to her about that.
Kathleen, the reporter was a “he”, not a “she”. His name is Duane Pohlman and he works for NBC News here in Ohio. Google him for contact info.
Ray Paulick is a reporter/journalist. Call him and ask him why he doesn’t help save some of the 20,000 TB’s that go to slaughter every year. After all, he makes his blood money on the backs of these horses.
I have no doubt that there are a handful of people who step up for their horses when those horses are in precarious situations. However, it doesn’t happen often.
Have you reached out to Ms. Moss and asked her to “save” Tricolette? She is a former owner. The horse is with a racing family that has been known to send horses to slaughter. Time is of the essence.
Mary,
I had specific questions for Maggi Moss about specific horses in Japan that I did ask her and she did answer.
I felt she would answer more questions about these horses if I wrote her privately and she did.
I am deeply troubled about I”LL HAVE ANOTHER being sold for 10 million dollars to Japan and no Ferdinand clause. Three Chimneys said they were following the horse’s progress and care and the horse does have a facebook page but that horse could still go to slaughter if the horse stops producing.
Based on my research, It is my understanding there was no clause to even try and protect that horse.
Paul Reddam bought the horse for 35,000 and sold the horse for 10 million dollars. to not even try to protect the horse is really wrong. Maggi did say that a contract is only as good as the person you have made the contract with.
I”LL HAVE ANOTHER was Owned by Canadian businessman J. Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O’Neill.
I have heard bad things about Doug O’Neill as a trainer and I have heard bad things about Paul Reddam in that he does not care about these horses, just about the money..
I will ask Maggi Moss to help Tricolette.
Don’t want to burst your bubble, Kathleen, but ALL racing breeders, owners and trainers only care about the money. Remember, this is a BUSINESS…as even the “good folks” will tell you. It’s all about the money and the “thrill”. Their “favorite” horse will be SOLD if the price is right.
Mary,
On the subject of Maggi.
Yes, I did email Maggi about Tricolette.
I have not heard back from her. When we spoke about the horses I was concerned about in Japan, she said was on her way out of town for the weekend to the race track in New Orleans. She may not check her email til she gets back next week.
She told me that does help in rescuing horses. I can call her at the track but i do not know what track she will be at. She mentioned New Orleans. I went on her facebook page and it says under places “Delta Downs Racetrack and Caisin, Vinton, Louisiana
https://www.facebook.com/maggi.moss.5?fref=ts
Do you know the track she races at in New Orleans ? I will try that one. If you know of another one, please email me or call me. You have my email address and phone #. I cannot keep up with all these posts. as they fly by so quickly. I do not see some of the responses people write right away so you can just email directly or call me if you know where she is and I will call her at the racetrack.
http://service.timeform.betfair.com/form/horse/2/10016932
On the subject of Ray Paulick
I have had several exchanges with Ray Paulick about “I”LL HAVE ANOTHER” I also posted the exchanges he had with some of his posters on this website.
Ray would not help me find out if I”LL HAVE ANOTHER” had the Ferdinand clause in it and he became very upset with a number of people who expressed concerned about I”LL HAVE ANOTHER” that was sold for 10 million dollars and I wrote him private emails about it as well. there is no point in my asking him to help save some of the 20,000 horses as his attitude is that once a horse is sold it is none of our business what happens to that horse.
Ray has a very harsh angry attitude towards the subject. When people spoke out against the Japan farm group that bought I”LL HAVE ANOTHER, Ray became very upset with some of his posters that were genuinely worried about the horse and banned some of those people from posting and threatened others that were posting.
On the subject of Reporters
I think that every reporter that finds a race horse that he can name should contact the former owner to see if they will help.
Mary, I am incredibly tired and working long hours on a rush project so it was not my intention to compare the two reporters or upset you. You have done a great deal for many horses over the years and I have love and respect for you.
I just really wish that the Ohio reporter would have contacted the owner after he found out his identity. I would like to see every horse that can be saved from a horrific death, Be rescued and I have been told that former owners have stepped up to the plate and rescued their horses when they found out their horse was being sold at auction..
Mary,
I would also be willing to call Jeffrey Radosevich on Friday to ask about Tricolette if I could find his number.
Do you know how I can track him down ?
All I could find on him was the following and that was from the article you posted:
Radosevich has 18 horses at Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania and another 16 at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia, but he likes racing at Thistledown best.
The crew in Barn 16 on the Thistledown backstretch was in midseason form this week. It is exactly what you’d expect with Jeff Radosevich at the helm.
http://www.cleveland.com/horseracing/index.ssf/2009/04/thistledowns_opening_week_rado.html
Kathleen, find out where Jeff Radosevich is racing and then call the track office. Leave a message and ask him to call you. To find where he is racing, go to http://www.equibase.com. In the upper right hand corner, you can type in the name of the trainer, horse, etc. There is a ton of info on that site.
Also, when you communicated with Moss, I’m surprised you didn’t bring up Tricolette. The horse is with a family that has little regard for a horse that doesn’t produce and we all should know by now that slaughter is the disposal system for the TB racing industry. I’ll Have Another is alive and currently isn’t in any danger of ending up on the slaughterhouse floor. If Moss didn’t respond to your email, email her again. I find it hard to believe that as a successful racing owner she doesn’t have access to emails, even when traveling. She had no trouble calling Joy a liar here on this blog, but disappeared when Joy challenged her. Not surprising at all. Joy is right. ALL owners/trainers/breeders are in this business for the MONEY and the horses are merely a means to an end.
Also, I have no idea where Moss races her horses. I don’t follow her and she doesn’t follow me. Moss and I are at cross purposes. I want racing to end and she wants the exploitation to continue.
Kathleen, if you can’t get Jeff Radosevich’s phone number from the racing office, please let me know. I have quite a few contacts in racing, and there is someone that I think may be able to provide it. I’m sure Ms. Moss will step up for this sweet horse even though the horse isn’t a big money winner so let’s see if Moss puts her money where her mouth is, as she should.
Mary,
As I mentioned in my previous post, I am on a rush project and I do not see every post that is posted on this blog.
I had not seen Joy’s posts on Tricolette nor had I seen your post when I spoke with Maggi on Thursday about the horses and breeders in Japan.
I did receive an email from Maggi a few minutes ago and she said was travelling today. Maggi said that she would see some of Tricolette’s owners this weekend and will check on the horse.
I only asked you about the New Orleans race tracks because I have never been to a race track and I knew nothing about Maggi Moss and where she raced.
Kathleen,
The last location for Jeff Radosevich was at Mahoning Racetrack, in Austintown, Ohio, and that is recent, meaning the last 2 months or so. Their contact # is: 1-877-788-3777. That may be a place to start….Or since the whole family is from Ohio, surely they would be found at Thistledown when it opens for it’s racing season.
Thank you Debra – Anne and Mary.
Maggi said she would talk to the owners this weekend. I hope they still have the horse. If I have not heard back from her by Monday, I will Jeff R. on Monday.
One more question.
Maggi said she would see them this weekend in Louisiana and she has horses there.
is there some big race happening this weekend ?
Kathleen, the Radosevich family is based out of Ohio. In fact, Jake Radosevich has a farm for sale in Grove City. Beulah Park was in Grove Coty before it closed. J.R. Racing Stable owns Tricolette which means that the Radosevich’s own the horse.
Moss states that she is going to see the owners this weekend. Really? I doubt if Moss moves in the same circles as the Radosevich family. Perhaps she means that she is going to pick up the phone and call them but I doubt she would know where Jeff is going to be on any given day. I hope that Moss isn’t telling you a “tall tale” in order to shut you up. However, something just doesn’t “smell” right, if you know what I mean.
Pardon my ignorance but can someone please tell me the “racing” birthday for the northern hemisphere. Here in the southern hemisphere it is the 1 August.
January 1.
Well there you go, another noble horse ruined by racing. If a highly qualified veterinarian, like Dr Mary Scollay, has stated that it is likely to be a career ending injury then that is not good news, in my experience. Only scant details (soft tissue) of the injury were disclosed. If it is solely a soft tissue injury and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE ASSOCIATED WITH IT then it is likely to be a ligament/tendon injury. According to Equibase.com this horse had 7 starts. From my calculations he is a rising 4 year old gelding (foaling date 4/4/11).
In his first race when a 2 year old he came home 2nd last
In his 2nd start he was “slow” to start
In his 3rd start he “weakened” and (he was put in a Claiming Race)
In his 4th start he “weakened”
In his 5th start he “stalked on the rail” and finished “spent”
In his 6th start he was racing “tight” and had to be “steadied” on the first turn. When something like this happens on a turn a horse can become unbalanced and loose its footing and it is possible he could’ve suffered an injury on that turn. Not for one minute am i saying that he did but it would not surprise me given his next start (being his last).
In his last start he was “slow to stride” and this tells me that he had an issue pre-race.
He then suffered a “soft tissue” injury, failed to finish and was vanned off. Appears no mention of an incident during the race to cause this injury.
Out of 7 starts 0-0-1 (one 3rd place) in his other 6 starts he was unplaced, so it appears that this horse was highly likely not going to be successful in racing, based on these 7 starts.
Who will be interested in buying him, he might end up with an unsuspecting person who is not aware of his injury. This is what I see and hear about far too often, people being deceived when buying a former racehorse. Horse does not come up to expectations, new owner’s vet finds much wrong with the animal and new owner is flattened. New owner might sell/pass on horse to another telling the truth about the horse or choosing not to tell the truth. It can be a very vicious circle for these horses that have been used and abused and then discarded by the racing industry as though it was a piece of meat well past its use-by date. Their final home is the slaughterhouse. His owner is also his breeder.
I know Sacred Ovation he’s a gorgeous bay gelding and he’s going to be five next month. I hope that he’s okay and please post anything if anyone has an update on him thank you.