The following horses were raceday casualties on American tracks last week:
Reported as died, euthanized, or “broke down” – racing-speak for dead
Awesome Life, Charles Town
Dos Oro, Charles Town
Blazen a Fire, Fair Meadows
Nevada City, Los Alamitos
Reported as “vanned off” – left via ambulance, a better-than-even chance of dead
Katmai Unleashed, Finger Lakes (subsequently confirmed dead)
Wolf King, Parx
Captain Derek, Delaware
Wild Eyed Otis, Indiana
Lucky Tiz, Evangeline
Cajun Born, Charles Town
Noland’s Cross, Charles Town
Identity Crisis, Belmont
Relentless Move, Belterra
Jilleah, Ellis
Niella, Monmouth
Balderinas Legacy, Ruidoso
Comin to Your Town, Ruidoso
Flash Theory, Ruidoso
Jessa Smoocher, Ruidoso
Thunder Stric Again, SunRay
One Fast Jet, Delta
Dusty Money, Ellis
Laff Itup Fuzzball, Emerald
Liberty Lake, Emerald
Darrington, Emerald
Elegant Idea, Evangeline
Spectacular Fire, Los Alamitos
Iamahandsome Man, Monmouth
Thaaats Right, Mountaineer
Golden Bird, Penn
Latenite With Mike, Ruidoso
Pesky, SunRay
Downtown Alley, Belmont
Sand Party, Ellis
Berts Carchy, Emerald
Phone Dance, Mountaineer
Grace Victoria, Ruidoso
Grande Hadley, Ruidoso
Silver Teeny, SunRay
Other
Variability, Parx, “appeared lame”
Al’s Wild Cat, Evangeline, “stumbled badly,” DNF
Sleeping Tiger, Penn, “stumbled badly,” DNF
Jazzy Java, Thistledown, “fell,” DNF
Yourcreditisgood, Belmont, “fell heavily to the track,” DNF
A Perfect Diva, Ruidoso, “fell over fallen foe”
Beckham, Thistledown, “stumbled badly,” DNF
Nameless, Charles Town, “bled”
Eight to the Bar, Ellis, “fell,” DNF
The Joke Is On Me, Gulfstream, “slammed repeatedly at the start”
Genuine Special, SunRay, “fell,” DNF
(source: Equibase)
Important vote set for Thursday, 16 July, by the Senate Appropriations Committee on funding inspections for horse slaughter in the U.S.
One or both of your senators serve on the committee . Urge them to vote YES on the Udall-Kirk amendment which will not allow funding for the inspections. Without inspections horse slaughter can’t resume in the U.S.
Big money and powerful groups are behind this push for slaughter. Don’t let them win !!
Patrick, if you do not want to allow this post, I understand it may not be a good idea.
Thank you.
Rose Smith.
Thank you, Rose.
Just to post good news — Noland’s Cross who was vanned off on 7/9 at Charles Town is ok.
I wish that there was an amendment to not allow horses to be shipped out of the USA for slaughter. Also, that if horses must be sent for disposal only humane euthanasia by a qualified vet be allowed. In addition breeders be limited in the number of foals each year, the animals used for breeding be certified for soundness,conformation and health.
Of course horse racing must end and until that happens horses deserve as much protection as possible. I really don’t believe in the slaughter or slaughter of any sentient being . If people want to bet on horse races let them do it in casinos with animated races no real races. This is just scratching the surface but it is a very complex subject.
Thank you for your unwavering diligence in reporting and being a voice for the horse .
Jo Anne,
That is what the SAFE ACT is all about. Stopping the transport of horses to slaughter.
Unfortunately, there are powerful groups in the horse racing world and AQHA, etc that are buying off Congressman to make them NOT vote on this bill that has been re-introduced for many years in Congress.
I posted a whole expose on Some of those groups and people in that world in another post. Plus, There SHOULD be money put aside from every purse to retire and take care of race horses but they do not. Another clear indication to me The Jockey Club and other groups connected to Racing do NOT care what happens to these horses.
Elegant Idea is TWO. A TWO-year-old filly. She has run FOUR times in LESS than 8 WEEKS. TWO YEARS OLD. Owner/trainer for this two-year-old baby with 4 races is Eduardo Ramirez. Unbelievable.
Yourcreditisgood is a 3-year-old filly. She ran 6 times as a 2-year-old. In all, she’s run 11 times – no wins. In her last race, as reported here by Patrick, she clipped heels and FELL HEAVILY. Picture that. What a distressing ordeal for a flight animal that desperately wants to stay on her feet.
In looking at the PP of Yourcreditisgood, I noticed a 4-year-old filly named Royal Air Raid – Jason Servis-trained. Royal Air Raid had her first race on May 3 (this year) where she had “no response” and finished 7 out of 10. Her next race, on June 10, she broke through the gate (after Yourcreditisgood), eventually “faltered” and came in last, over 24 lengths behind. Servis entered her again on July 10. Doesn’t it seem that a good “horseman” would know that his own filly isn’t sound to race?…obviously not or most likely, Servis just didn’t give a damn. Royal Air Raid was a vet scratch in her third lifetime start.
SICK and DISGUSTING industry. Totally unnecessary. Yet it keeps limping along.
We own a stable that re trains tb’s and we have royal air raid. She is doing very well and on her way to complete recovery and a new job. We have 8 other youngsters from the track who are also doing well. We got royal from Jason in September.
Thanks, Kim…Royal Air Raid is not on this Casualties List, but it’s good to know that another injured racing TB made it out of racing alive, wasn’t slaughtered and gets another chance at life – hopefully she’s going to a loving and forever home. Too many never get the opportunity.
I was sent a photo and information on one of the racehorses on this casualty list…Wolf King at Parx.
Wolf King, 2011 dark bay gelding by Rock Hard Ten. Bred and formerly owned and raced by Robert S. Evans, trained by Michael Trombetta. In his 5th race for Evans and Trombetta in October, 2014, he was claimed from them for 25K. Yes, they sold him. That’s the “name of the game” in this gambling business. Run then, sell them. Out of sight, out of mind. Just an object to be used and then gotten rid of when “it” no longer meets one’s expectations – ie, earns enough money.
Wolf King was claimed again in June of this year by (trainer) Miguel Vera for (owner) Mario DeJesus Arriaga. On July 6, Vera and Arriaga ran him at Parx where Wolf King “drifted wider through the stretch, appeared lame when pulled up, and was vanned off.” The 4-year-old gelding had finished 3rd in that race – which was to be his final race – and it was his efforts and his damaged body that secured a $2200 paycheck for Vera and Arriaga.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Wolf King was brought to the New Holland auction where he was purchased by a kill buyer. The photo I was sent shows him at the auction – extremely thin, sticker slapped onto his left hip and his left front pointed out in front of him. He was purchased from the kill buyer by some former “connection”, but Wolf King’s injuries – from racing – were so severe he needed to be euthanized.
Some want to praise the former connections for purchasing him from the kill buyer. I don’t…I say that is the LEAST they should have done. And I dare bet they weren’t following their former horse…rather, it was likely an “animal rights activist” who found the lame gelding, identified him, and notified the person from Wolf King’s past. Again and again, these “beloved” racehorses that we hear are treated like “kings” and “queens” are found at KB-attented auctions and even owned by the kill buyers themselves. And again and again, the tracks with their “no-slaughter” policies show how USELESS those policies they boast about are.
Any horse is just one sale away – or one claim away – from a horrific situation and someone who will hand them off to be slaughtered. Industry members know this…Robert Evans and Michael Trombetta know this. But that stops NONE of them.
Following this horse, Joy? Nope, not one of his former connections was following him. That is one of the biggest lies emanating from the mouths of those immersed in this sickening industry…oh, we were “following” him. Of course, those who desperately want to shine a favorable light on racing will now begin to babble that he was “saved” by a former connection. Four years old and found in a kill pen…that was the fate of Wolf King. If this happened once or twice, it would be bad enough but this plays out every single day at auctions across the country. Without the animal advocates who frequent the auctions, this horse would have experienced a horrific death. Oh, and anyone who actually believes that the anti-slaughter policies are enforced at racetracks are either incredibly stupid or delusional…perhaps a bit of both.