Through a FOIA request to the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following 23 deaths on or at Indiana tracks in 2015. The document, however, came with this: “As was the case in your request last year, please be advised that the names of the horses have been redacted as confidential pursuant to IC 38-1-4-5.5.” (Unless otherwise noted, fatal injury was a leg/foot fracture of one kind or another.)
unidentified, March 27, Hoosier
“colic symptoms”
unidentified, April 28, Indiana, training
unidentified (probably 3-year-old Temple Fever), May 12, Indiana 2
unidentified (probably 7-year-old Najaseehimnajadont), May 19, Indiana 1
unidentified, June 6, Indiana, training
unidentified (probably 5-year-old Far Away Moon), June 9, Indiana 3
“sudden death – collapsed on track”
unidentified, June 30, Hoosier, training
“sudden death – collapsed on track”
unidentified (probably 6-year-old Comotion Nda Ocean), June 30, Indiana 4
unidentified (probably 3-year-old Fixated), July 14, Indiana 4
unidentified (probably 4-year-old Cowgirl Rose), July 16, Indiana 9
unidentified, July 24, Indiana, training
“exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage”
unidentified (probably 5-year-old Summer Secret), August 11, Indiana 4
unidentified, August 15, Indiana
“dead in stall”
unidentified (probably 6-year-old Punch the Bookie), August 18, Indiana 2
unidentified (probably 4-year-old Hope On the Rocks), August 25, Indiana 2
unidentified (probably 5-year-old Michael With Us), August 28, Indiana 3
“sudden death on track”
unidentified (3-year-old Thunder Deville), September 1, Indiana 5
“fractured neck”
unidentified, September 5, Indiana, training
unidentified (probably 4-year-old Lilmissrita), September 8, Indiana 1
“sudden death on track”
unidentified (probably 2-year-old A Oh K), September 25, Indiana 6
3-year-old Irish Nuggets, September 30, Indiana 8
unidentified (probably 4-year-old Jukebox Johnny), October 3, Indiana 7
“sudden death on track”
unidentified (probably 4-year-old Apple Moonshine), October 30, Indiana 2
Isn’t there a way to identify a race horse? Why are most of them “unidentified”? Sounds suspicious to me. What could they be hiding?
Unidentified here means that the state in question refused to release the names.
So the public can know their names when they’re being bet on but not when they die…what a dishonorable and disgusting business this is. Even the deaths of humans are public knowledge. But did they let one slip?…in naming Irish Nuggets? Sickening.
From Dave Neale, Animal Welfare Director/Animals Asia;
“If we personally make the decision never to watch animal performance and persuade others to do the same – we chip away at the commercial basis for this cruelty. We often talk about shining a light on the cruelty to make it stop. Animal performance ends when no one wants to look at it anymore.”
Excellent quote.
This highlights the lack of a national commission. Horses as well as jockeys cross state lines all the time to compete. Yet, each state has it’s own commission with different rules and regulations.
Follow the money in order to understand how and why racing gets away with being a lawless animal cruelty gambling operation that answers to nobody.
P.S. Thank you for the quote, Joy.