In its most recent Stewards Minutes, the California Horse Racing Board reports the deaths of two horses at the California State Fair in Sacramento:
9-year-old Hostile Waters while training on July 15.
5-year-old Italian Harmony in the 7th race on July 17: “Italian Harmony was eased and dismounted at the 1/8th pole after the horse suffered an injury to the left front leg. The horse’s leg was placed in a splint and the horse was vanned off in the ambulance. The injury later proved to be catastrophic and the horse was euthanized.”
Please stop betting on animal races.
According to equibase.com, HOSTILE WATERS raced for five (5) years. He had 38 starts with total prizemoney $39,568. A nine year old gelding and they just kept him going.
38: 2-5-4. So he won/placed in less than one-third of his starts, so he was obviously not going great guns here – why would you continue with him? Appearance money?
It appears that, with the exception of one race, all of his races were Claiming Races.
According to equibase.com, connections as of his last start on 25 May 2015 are –
Jockey: Cristobal Herrera
Trainer: Stanley Waterman
Owner: Neill, Dan and Waterman, Stanley
Breeder: Martin Waterman & Jimmy Oman
On 14 May 2010, this horse’s very first start, connections were
Trainer: Stanley Waterman
Owner: Neill, Dan and Waterman, Martin & Stanley
On my calculations, HOSTILE WATERS earned $7,913 per annum. How could it be viable to keep this horse going – surely feed, shoeing, veterinary treatment, worming and all the rest of it would’ve eaten up a big part of his earnings each year. Perhaps they just did it for fun as some do, I know they do – some of them do it as a sort of a hobby, an interest.
IT WAS CERTAINLY NO FUN FOR THIS HORSE!
ITALIAN HARMONY a five (5) year old mare. Career 18: 2-3-1 for $37,305.
Average $2,073 per start.
It appears that 14 of her 18 starts were Claiming Races. A 3 year racing “career”.
According to equibase.com, connections as of her last start on 17 July 2015 were
Jockey: Juan J Hernandez
Trainer: D Wayne Baker
Owner: Nick Cafarchia
Breeder: Nick Cafarchis
First raced on 28 July 2012 when she weakened and her trainer was Rafael Becerra and her owner was Nick Cafarchia. It appears she retained her original owner who was also her breeder.
Second start on 24 Aug 2012 she again weakened and close to the wire raced tight just off the heels (of another).
She did not race in 2013. Change of ownership was not a factor. Perhaps a health issue.
Two starts as a 2 year old.
One year and 9 months after her last start, she resumed racing on 16 May 2014 and was unable to finish off her race, she was pulled up by her jockey and walked off the track – did she suffer an injury?
Then on 17 July 2015 she was pulled up and vanned off.
According to the Stewards’ Minutes of the California Horse Racing Board, ITALIAN HARMONY suffered an injury to her near fore leg, a splint was placed on her leg,
injury catastrophic and she was euthanased.
If it was a splint that I’m familiar with then it helps the horse a little and can sometimes in some cases prevent worsening the injury further (I’m no expert on this). However, the horse still suffers terrible pain and shock.
It is UNACCEPTABLE that splints are not available/used for ALL horses that suffer a limb injury.
This horse displayed symptoms much earlier in her “career” that she was unable to cope with racing, yet she was forced to continue. It appears to me that there is absolutely nothing in place to protect the horses in the horse racing industry.
UTTERLY SHAMEFUL!