On August 11th at Suffolk Downs, 5-year-old Summers Law “was pulled up and returned rank” (this after finishing last of 10 two weeks prior). Put to the whip again a mere seven days later, he finished 9th of 10, 15+ lengths back. He has not been heard from since. Most recent connection: trainer/owner Miles Heinen.
On August 26th at Indiana Grand, 5-year-old Da Suga Man “returned having bled.” In October, he was put to the whip twice more: last of 9, last of 8 (“fractious loading”) – a combined 51 lengths back. He has not been heard from since. Most recent connections: James Egbert, Zola Egbert.
On August 27th at Indiana Grand, 2-year-old Devadutt “stumbled badly going to his knees” – DNF. From September to November, he was raced four more times: last of 10, 8th of 10, 8th of 9, last of 11 – a combined 106+ lengths back. He has not been heard from since. Connections throughout: Wayne Minnock, Felipe Salas.
On August 31st at Canterbury Park, 8-year-old Waverly Charmer finished last of 12 after “stopping badly.” He was raced again 11 days later: last of 10, 21 back. He has not been heard from since. Most recent connections: Stephen Kane, Mackenzie Kane.
Someone besides the connections knows where these horses are or if they are still alive.
Maybe some of the “good people” will speak up instead of looking the other way.
I wonder if the “good people” ever think about the fact that bad stuff keeps happening because they do nothing .
R.S.
Rose,
I couldn’t agree with you more, someone knows where these horses are besides the owners and trainers. I hope with all my heart that they are still alive. Come on “Good People” speak up! If they are being lovingly cared for let us know where. Didn’t Jacobson get in deep trouble because one of his horses ended up marked for slaughter, yet he claimed he sold the horse to a precarious owner and had no idea. REALLY…..This whole Industry is rotten from the ground up…Marlene Thornley
Might want to get your facts straight. Summers Law ran a few more times over the next 2 years. He is alive and well on his trainers farm.
You might want to read before you comment – in particular, the date of this post. A FEW times in TWO years? – that speaks volumes.
Does 11 times make you feel better? Regardless of the date. The horse is neither missing nor abused
Feel better? – his life and limbs risked another 11 times for Heinen’s wallet and bettors’ gambling fixes? No, not at all. Missing? – maybe not yet. But when it’s clear the 7-year-old’s arthritic limbs won’t bring Heinen another check at another cheap track (10th, I see, in his last race…8th and over 22 lengths back in his race before that), SL won’t be a priority. They never are.
Lives and limbs risked on the cross country course, in the show rings, on the polo fields, on the hunt course, even on the farm in the horse’s own paddock…. everywhere horses go lives and limbs are risked. Abuses worse than I ever thought imaginable have taken place in some of the “best” “reputable” show barns. No equine activity is immune. But to put people’s names in black and white with out proof of abuse or conviction by a court of law regarding said abuse is akin to slander and defamation of character. I’ve seen many people’s names dragged through the mud on sites like this for no reason other than they are involved in the racing industry. I have yet to see a horse beaten to the point that welts on its face, head, neck and body because it refused a fence while the “trainer” was riding it at the track. I have never seen a horses sides bleeding from spurs at the track. I have seen many trainers, owners and stable workers go without so their beloved horse can have its every whim met at the track. These horses are more of a priority to their track families than the actual human families. I could go on but it’s pointless to try to educate those that don’t want to learn..
Your point, Melanie? Yes, lives and limbs are risked in other equine industries, so put on your “big girl pants” and speak up for the voiceless….the horses! I competed in hunters in the 60’s and 70’s and not once did I see a horse snap its leg off in a ring or on a hunt course. My horses NEVER entered the ring with ANY drugs in their systems nor were they entered into competition at the age of two or three. I also walked the backside of a low level track for years and saw horror story after horror story…horses thin (yet expected to race), standing on a few wisps of straw in their stalls…horses covered in rain rot and horses racing with chips/fractures. Even Bill Casner, a racing insider, has publicly stated that racing is “permeated” with those that have no regard for the horse…again….”permeated.” If the horses are “more of a priority to their track families than the actual human families,” why do these racing folks put the horses up for sale in claiming races? I’ll tell you why. Because they care about the money more than the horses. Got it?
And as far as trying to “educate” me, I have been educated. I took off my rose colored glasses quite a few years ago and, just to clear up confusion on your part, I not only speak out against he exploitation but I have helped many horses over the years that have been dumped when their productive days are over. Why would ANYONE need to help a horse after its racing days were over if the horse was a “priority?” Because saying the horse is a “priority” is a monstrous lie. Now, it is pointless to try to educate you so find a pro-racing blog and post away!
So because YOU haven’t seen a racehorse with welts or bloodied sides must mean racing gets a free pass? – or, because “no equine activity is immune”, they ALL get a free pass? Or are the abuses in racing negated because of the abuses in other “equine activities”? No Melanie, what gets your goat is that what YOU support – the horse racing industry – is being exposed for the suffering and death it causes on this site. And if that’s not the case, point us in the direction of other sites where the abuses you mentioned are being discussed – and let’s see where you chastise them, reminding them that ALL “equine activities”, including racing, cause risk to life and limb.
And a racehorse covered with welts? – you haven’t seen it at the track? Jo Anne Normile, founder of CANTER has – a little filly. Then as the trainer applied DMSO directly onto her trembling, welt-covered body, he laughed and said, “This will teach the little bitch to run straight”.
Bloodied sides from spurs? No, I haven’t seen that. But a foreleg snapped in two on a riderless colt who was trying to keep up with the “herd” as they continued on racing ahead of him – that I’ve seen. Horses with fractured sesamoids, cannons, fetlocks…torn tendons, suspensory injuries – yep, I’ve seen those, too. Hundreds of them.
Education, Melanie? I’ve had plenty of that, as well.
Lover of Art – does that gelding’ s name ring a bell, Melanie? Your defending of Heinen would be laughable if there weren’t sentient beings involved. Suffolk Downs, 2014 – Lover of Art, trained by Miles Heinen, is found with an overage of bute after winning a race. Fact.