5-year-old Walk the Tango was killed in the 1st yesterday at Louisiana Downs – Equibase: “taken up entering the drive and euthanized.” In all, he went under the whip 29 times; his last five – 7th, 8th, 6th, 7th, dead.
Also, while Belmont’s official Fall opening is September 11, the track wasted no time in recording its first kill (1st on the Fall meet, 15th on the year): yet-to-be-raced 2-year-old Sicilia Nino fractured a pair of sesamoids while training Monday morning. Euthanized. This makes 76 dead horses on or at NY tracks in 2015.
The breakdown and death of this colt SICILIA NINO is another example of the overstress placed on these 2 year olds when their bones have not yet developed. The two small sesamoid bones behind the fetlock are susceptible to injury especially in racing. Not surprisingly, sesamoid injuries in catastrophic limb breakdowns are common. Fractured sesamoids and he was only in training and had not yet raced!
According to equibase.com the connections were:
TRAINER: N/A
OWNER: N/A
BREEDER: Linda Rice & Antonio Miuccio
This colt was registered as a racehorse by the industry and yet his trainer and owner names are Not Applicable? The fact that he did not race is irrelevant. The death of this young colt whilst in training about to have his very first start was disclosed, however, we know that many are not.