6-year-old Bellamy Xpress is dead after breaking a leg in the 9th Saturday at Aqueduct. As regards the Commission’s “investigation to follow,” allow me to save them the time and effort (laughable as that is). All these “breakdowns” can be summed thus: Horseracing kills horses – and there’s not a damn thing they can do to stop it.
BELLAMY XPRESS was a chestnut gelding, soon to turn 7 years of age on February 19 (from foaling date) when he suffered a broken leg half way through the race when doing his best for the 34th time.
Career 34: 7-8-1 for $218,490 (average $6,426 per start). He placed in about one-half of his starts and about two-thirds of his starts were in the sinister Claiming races. He began racing as a 2 year old and in his first start he stumbled coming out of the gates and lost his rider and DNF. Most of his racing took place at Penn National and Parx. On Sept 15, 2014 this horse again DNF when he again stumbled just after the start and lost his rider.
According to equibase.com, and if I have read it correctly, BX’s trainers and owners were as follows –
Trainer T Houghton – Owner Thomas McClay
On Oct 28 2012 BX was claimed for $16,000
New Trainer John J Tammaro III – Owner Thomas Mangine (they had him for one race only)
On Dec 3 2012 he was claimed for $10,000
New Trainer Kathleen Demasi – Owner Pewter Stable (MJM Stable later became a part owner)
On Aug 2 2014 he was claimed for $8,000
New Trainer Charles P Cannon – Owner Sondra S Young
Just two months later on Oct 11 2014 he was claimed for $16,000
New Trainer Michelle Castillo – Owner Dantecarlo Hospitality (paid twice the amount BX previously sold for)
On Nov 30 2015 he was claimed for $7,500
New Trainer Douglas Nunn – Owner Prestine Racing
New Trainer Gary Gullo – Owner Prestine Racing (they had him for his final deadly race)
His very first race at the notorious AQUEDUCT racetrack was also his last race. I often come across horses that suffer a career ending injury or death that have very recently been sold on to their final connections.
BX raced for over 4 years lining the pockets of his connections et al only to suffer a painful broken limb and a death without dignity in full public view, for what? TWO DOLLAR BETS!!! That’s what this young horse (who could’ve lived until he was 30 years of age) DIED for, his life stolen from him in a sickeningly cruel way. BELLAMY XPRESS is representative of the great majority of racehorses who are used, abused and then killed, either on the track, in training, in the stable, during a lay-off or in the horrific slaughterhouse.
This IS what horseracing is about – this IS the reality of it all.
Right on, Carolyn. The story of Bellamy Xpress is emblematic of how this sick business operates. And of course, DEATH prior to reaching maturity or shortly afterwards is what is in store for the vast majority of racehorses.
Racing is for individuals devoid of human decency.
I love horse’s. This really hurts! There have been to many deaths at Aqueduct. This racetrack among other racetracks should be investigated into. Why are SO many TB’s being injured, killed and euthanized. Why do the TB’s have to run so fast? Please find a reason as to why this is happening ALL of the time. Thank you.
I was at a local casino watching the simulcast of Aqueduct on Sunday, when I witnessed two horses cartwheel in a late race One jockey recovers and walked away. The other appeared unresponsive. Any knowledge?
THANK YOU Nick for bringing this to our attention. I had a look at the replay for the last race on Sunday (Race 9) Jan. 17 at Aqueduct and as you said horses cartwheeled and it was so sickening to watch. 3 horses came down and I saw 2 get up but the camera came off. Here is the link to the replay http://www.equibase.com/premium/chartEmb.cfm?track=AQU&raceDate=01/17/2016&cy=USA&rn=9
The Chart says that THIRTY PERCENT clipped heels (racing tight) with Chief Assignment and fell heavily to the track, then had a pair of rivals fall over him, cantered off and walked off under his own power.
TOTTIE ROYER fell heavily over THIRTY PERCENT and then HUMBOLDT STREET fell heavily over THE BOTH OF THEM and walked off appearing to have no ill effects. One of the horses appeared to walk off the track rather gingerly. Just because these 3 horses “walked off under their own power” as they like to emphasise, does not necessarily mean that all is well with them. At the very least they would’ve suffered trauma, shock, fear, a degree of bruising and likely some grazing, abrasions and possibly some cuts.
Here is the link to the Chart and the race is described under the heading Footnotes.
http://www.equibase.com/premium/chartEmb.cfm?track=AQU&raceDate=01/17/2016&cy=USA&rn=9
I could not find any mention about the 3 jockeys who were Katie Davis (TOTTIE ROYER) Dylan Davis (HUMBOLDT STREET) and Anthony Suarez (THIRTY PERCENT).
If you watch the winner Chief Assignment who was leading all the way, you will see THIRTY PERCENT come up just after the turn I think it was from 3rd to 2nd place on the outside of Chief, now jockey then takes TP very close behind Chief but then immediately gets stuck into him with the whip and that’s when THIRTY PERCENT comes down badly.
It is my belief that this was a classic example of the whip contributing to a horse coming down.
It certainly wasn’t a broken limb that brought him down!!!
It was a horrific incident and evidences how SICK, CRUEL and DEADLY horseracing is…. it just cannot be justified.
Just wondering about VALID WOLFE (a rising 4 year old gelding – 11 starts) who was one of the 3 horses that came down badly in that terrible incident at Louisana Downs on Sept 18, 2015. The 3 of them walked off under their own power. The other two (Social Prize and Heavenly O) have reappeared but no VALID WOLFE.
Maybe he’s having a well earned lay-off.