8-year-old Stardemalion was killed in the 8th yesterday at Portland Meadows. (The chartwriter bizarrely put it thus: “fell approaching the half mile pole, was euthanized and vanned off.” Euthanized, then vanned off? Well how else to get a dead horse off the track?) This was his 47th time under the whip; 16th since last finishing first.
Earlier in the Portland day (race 3), Wanna Be Fierce “stopped badly, collapsed after the wire” and was “vanned off.” No word yet as to whether he is alive or dead, though with a line like that, I think we know the answer.
Please stop betting on horse races.
STARMEDALION had 47 race starts 37 of which were in the sinister Claiming races. All of his starts were at Portland Meadows with one exception at Grants Pass, so he was a very familiar sight at Portland. He earned a mere $33,109. He raced from Oct. 2010 to Jan. 2016 a period of 5 years and 3 months. His claiming price for his lethal race was $2,500.
It appears that this racehorse retained the same trainer and owner for the whole of his “career”. Why would one continue to force this animal to race when he was earning on average only $525 per month? Appears not viable. Perhaps there are tax benefits. He was 8 years and 9 months old from his foaling date and also a GELDING – no money in the breeding barn = no more money when he stops racing, so is it a matter of just racing him until he drops?
He “fell” during the race, reason for him falling not disclosed, they euthanased him and then his lifeless body was removed from the track and probably dumped in a pit out the back. He likely suffered a catastrophic limb, pelvic or spinal injury and obviously he was in such a bad way that they couldn’t put him on an ambulance and finish him off out the back out of the public eye which is the usual practice by the racing industry in an attempt to hide its sickening cruelty. STARMEDALION was so horrifically injured that it was utterly impossible to move him.
http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=8051396®istry=T
This IS horseracing!
Jerks. It’s all about the money. Try help feeding the hungry or take care of our vets that fought for you and me
This is a despicable industry that needs to stop now. There’s nobody protecting the health, and welfare of the racehorses no matter how much they try to project an image of the “good” folks of horse racing.
When living, breathing, sentiment beings are allowed to be abused like STARMEDALION and so many others who are dying for $2 bets! If this is what they call protecting the racehorses then they are all delusional. They always attack me these pro-horse racing people, and say “but, there are good people.”
It don’t matter if your good because if you are a participant in this industry, in some capacity, then you are contributing to this abuse, you are part of the problem just like if you wager. You may not own a racehorse, but you are directly responsible for the exploitation if you financially support it.
Nancy, love your comment, and I will add to it.
Right now, as I write, there is a breeding sale going on in the “horse capital of the world – Kentucky.” It’s called the Keenland January Horses of All Ages Sale in the industry because everything, but the kitchen sink is in there. In other words, it’s a dumping ground as far as I’m concerned. It’s done is a prestigious, opulent setting of course to make it appear all pleasant, and nice.
Very wealthy people, like Virginia Kraft Payson, bought one broodmare for $500,000, and many others for $250,000 or more. The money spend there is mind blowing.
Here’s a link to the Sales Results if you care to get sick to your stomach.
http://flex.keeneland.com/summaries/summaries.html
Now, we live in a free country, people are allowed to spend their money as they wish.
That said, I can’t help but think about the starving children, animals, people who have served our country and can’t get medical care, and all the other social issues that could be helped out with money.
Then I see the obscene amount of money people are spending on just 1 racehorse, and it blows my mind.
It’s a grotesque display of wealth.
However, the lesser horses at the sale, the ones that have unproven track records, the working class pedigrees, the lame ones that can no longer run, but may get a home if they can be forcibly impregnated – those ones go for a lot less.
The first day of the sale which started on Monday is usually the higher numbers since the horses are categorized according to their “monetary value,” with the more valuable going through the sales ring first.
No matter how rich I was (I’m not, but just saying), I would never, and could never justify spending $500,000 or more on 1 horse. NO WAY.
I couldn’t sleep with myself at night for doing something like this when I know that money could save so many racehorses from kill auctions, give medical care to some vets, donate to animal or human organizations – take your pick.
All I know is that the money spent there, at just one sale, could ensure that the majority of racehorses never end up at the slaughterhouse.
The industry does little (compared to their obscene profits) or nothing for the very product that makes them rich. That’s just one sickening part of the scenario.
Another thing, they donate money to a general account called Thoroughbred Charities giving the impression that the racehorses are getting the money. They do get some, but little compared to the human charities that this money is supposedly going to.
It’s nice to have charities, but when a charity is financed by the bones, and backs of the racehorse then I feel that the racehorse should get the money.
Time, and again it’s human charities, people that have nothing to do with this industry, that get the lions share of the money.
Just another failure of this business to ensure that racehorses don’t slip through the cracks.
Of course this charity has never been audited as far as I know. Sure is a good tax write-off for the multimillion dollar Sales Auctions.
In the end, the racehorse gets pretty much snubbed again.
We agree, spending big $$ for horses or anything else makes no sense. It just goes to show how the tax depreciation laws are all mixed up and that the wrong things are encouraged to be done by the present tax codes.We have never liked charities that siphoned off monies to help backside workers at the expense of the poor horses that many times are just an after thought at many tracks. Especially if they have unfashionable pedigrees.Another horse has been pulled up at Portland Meadows yesterday, that poor horse was raced with only a 4 moth break here in the NW. It is clear that many horses racing there are tired and need a break. We were told many years ago by our first horse buyer that ” Emerald Downs is too hard on horses and has too high a break down rate” We are a small farm operation that is trying to shift focus with our sales. It is so incredibly difficult.At present there is a program in Oregon that pays every trainer $100 just for any horse entered to race for help with medication expense!!! Also yesterday several wining horse mares were offered at public auction immediately after their win at PM with a breeding to our most recent Kentucky Derby winning stallion relocated here by several thousand $$ flight out of Maryland.In addition there is breeders association program to pay for all the registration fees up to $225 per foal/ horse registered in 2016. That is how desperate conditions have become here with the declining foal crops.We have always hated the use of medications!!!! We have taught many horses to be ridden bareback and under saddle and several went on to win a fair amount of monies in racing here. We now feel very sorry for those horses who after leaving our hands no longer were loved and were raced by uncaring trainers. One of which even admitted to us that she ” did not like the horse but the owner claimed it away from the original breeder because he knew it would make him lots of winner circle pictures.”