Through a request to the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills on Oklahoma tracks in 2015:
2-year-old Splitterr, March 7, Remington 9 (first race)
2-year-old Jess Roses, March 15, Remington 8 (first race)
3-year-old Cowgirl Star, March 17, Will Rogers, training (coming off first race)
2-year-old Sir Santino, March 25, Remington, training (being prepped for first race)
3-year-old Two Times Flashy, April 4, Remington 1
2-year-old Rekindle, April 4, Remington 2 (first race)
2-year-old Good Year for a Rose, April 9, Remington, training (being prepped for first race)
2-year-old Flashyoursix, April 12, Remington 4
5-year-old Daybreak Dreamer, April 13, Will Rogers 9
3-year-old Katies Little Corona, April 24, Remington 1
2-year-old Jess an Appeal, May 1, Remington 5 (euthanized May 2) (first race)
5-year-old Fly Okie, May 2, Will Rogers, training
2-year-old One Sweet Marie, May 11, Remington 8
2-year-old Short Fused Corona, May 12, Remington 8
2-year-old Hot Advice, May 22, Remington 9
2-year-old Sir Tres Seis, June 3, Fair Meadows, training (being prepped for first race)
2-year-old Also Mighty, June 4, Fair Meadows 7 (first race)
3-year-old Iona Ivory, June 4, Fair Meadows 8
6-year-old Show Me the Power, June 27, Fair Meadows 7
5-year-old Test Program, July 4, Fair Meadows 7
2-year-old Blazen a Fire, July 11, Fair Meadows 10
3-year-old Glitternglory, July 24, Fair Meadows 5
2-year-old Ritzi Go Go, August 2, Remington, training (being prepped for first race)
2-year-old Nichols Hillbilly, August 6, Remington, training (being prepped for first race)
4-year-old Lainy’s Sweetness, August 21, Remington 9
5-year-old Circus Train, August 28, Remington 5
2-year-old Mystic Star, August 29, Remington 6
2-year-old Shinefortheprimetime, September 13, Will Rogers 10
4-year-old Katie’s Parade, September 27, Remington, training
2-year-old A Sweet Heart Deal, October 4, Will Rogers 8
5-year-old Unbridled’s Score, October 7, Remington 2
2-year-old Duanes Little Frog, October 11, Will Rogers 4
2-year-old Denali Teller Now, October 17, Will Rogers, training (coming off first race)
2-year-old Pyc Miss Bama, October 18, Will Rogers 12
2-year-old Once and Again, October 28, Remington, training (coming off first race)
6-year-old Diamond Okie, October 28, Remington 2
3-year-old Valdez Rare Corona, October 30, Will Rogers 7
6-year-old Bonnie Parker, November 5, Remington 1
4-year-old Top Gold, November 19, Remington, training
5-year-old Sweet Ruby Kate, December 4, Remington 5
In addition, these still-active racehorses died on track grounds from what the industry calls “non-racing” causes. Technically true, perhaps, but morally they are no less casualties of this vile business than the ones above.
6-year-old Stel Christina, February 17, Remington
“illness”
4-year-old Curjen, March 9, Remington
“colic”
4-year-old Tl Bridled Lightning, March 10, Remington
“accident”
7-year-old Mighty Tenpins, March 22, Remington
“injury”
“pony horse – no name,” March 25, Remington
“colic”
3-year-old One Sweet Corona, May 4, Remington
“colic”
2-year-old Star Spangled Perry, May 7, Remington
“colic”
6-year-old Special Jessie, July 14, Fair Meadows
“dead in stall”
“pony horse” Navaho, September 19, Remington
“accident”
2-year-old Lady Burbank, November 11, Remington
“illness”
3-year-old Tiz Another, November 14, Remington
“illness”
3-year-old Gilded Bling, November 17, Remington
“illness”
3-year-old Gold Bling, November 18, Remington
“illness”
This is a massacre, it can’t keep on happening
22 – TWENTY TWO – two-year-olds on this list of racehorses killed in action. Any death at any age in this industry that is completely unnecessary is horrific enough…but 22 two-year-olds…
It’s abhorrent Joy, it truly is. 22 baby horses brutally sacrificed for $2 bets, greed, human entertainment and big egos.
I can’t fathom that 22 2-year old horses died on a single track, let alone the countless others who are made to run at that young age when everyone knows their bones are not fully developed to with stand the horrid racing conditions.
The list of these horses that Patrick has provided is devastating. One only has to use one’s imagination and picture each of these horses as foals, you know, the pics that the racing industry advertises of gorgeous little foals with their mothers who are so proud of the baby they’ve produced and of course, as always, in a picture perfect scene with emerald green grass in the perfect paddock on the perfect property! These broodmares are just racehorse baby factories and off to slaughter when they’re no longer of use – came across a broodmare that had 12 foals from 2000-2013 in my research recently, just imagine being in the state of pregnancy for 13 years with no respite!
Well folks, this list of horses is evidence of the outcome of many of these babies. Horseracing destroys the vast majority of them, if not on the racetrack in the slaughterhouse. Tragically, this is the reality of the racing industry. And we have to live with it day in, day out, despair and agonise over the abuse, mistreatment, cruelty and killing of the most noble of all animals, the horse, the magnificent intelligent and sensitive equine.
In the meantime, the industry has the audacity to throw out at us such ridiculously pathetic propaganda as this –
http://www.oldfriendsequine.org/hats-current.html
Genuine Reward was extremely lucky, his dam produced only 2 foals during her 18 year period as a broodmare (one hates to think of the foals that were lost and she was bred with Secretariat) GR was a failure for racing and up for sale for $500 (kill buyer material) when he was noticed and saved. He’s a beautiful chestnut but what about the thousands of others that weren’t as lucky as Genuine Reward…… think about it.
Forget the big race events, the fancy often stupid looking hats, the glamour, the lunching and juleps, the big egos and the who’s who of society there to be seen and photographed. It’s the ugly dark side of racing that needs to be focused upon and exposed. Thank you Patrick for your unfailing commitment to disclosing the deaths of these beautiful purely innocent horses.
PS: Shame about Brian Hernandez’s hat! Wouldn’t you think that someone would’ve said “hey mate, your hat… umh….?”
Thank you Carolyn for the link to Genuine Reward’s story. I absolutely agree with you re the audacity of the industry “showcasing ” this story. Actually, I would also say it is borderline stupid for the industry to use the story for PR. The horse should never been for sale on Craig’s List and for $500.00 That is inviting disaster. Where were the wealthy breeders ?? And one writer had the nerve to defend the Wyoming owner by saying he was trying to find a “happy retirement home for the horse and didn’t know that a $500,00 price tag would put the horse at risk” !!!! Oh please…
Reminds me of Asmussen’s father sending his broodmares to auction and he had no idea that kill buyers attended the auction regularly !! What an ugly business this is and one that seems to believe people are totally gullible.
Carolyn you are so right on when you describe the beautiful pictures of foals being born on multimillion dollar farms. A picture of beauty isn’t it?
The foals that are born on these million dollar farms have such a beautiful life to begin with, the huge stalls, the deep straw, the stake mares, the oats, the staff, the rolling grassy paddock, the best vet care, and everything that money buys – then the aftermath.
The separating of foal and mare as they cry, the foal picked, prodded, and broke to saddle/reins.
The training schedule. The grueling process of turning this foal into another profit slave. The physical ailments along the way doesn’t deter the slave masters. The show must go on.
The foal must be raced at 2 so that they can ready it for the fall stake races leading up to the Derby.
After all, that’s why about 30,000 foals are born every year. They are born to be great, but when 90% of them are proven not to be good enough they are sent to the gallows below – the claiming races where they are running for a ham sandwich, running for their lives.
From million dollar bliss to a hell hole existence until they either get lame, maimed, breakdown, die on the track or if they are lucky to survive many are sent to slaughter.
The cycle now complete. The beautiful grassy paddock a long memory away as the pictures fade also.
It’s a cruelty circus, a death camp, blatant horse cruelty, and a disgrace. Everybody else pays for this torture, but the industry itself. Whether it’s the taxpayers, casinos, or others they hardly pay for or even provide proper retirement for the racehorses after they are lame, and unprofitable.
It’s a disgrace that this industry is allowed to continue by playing the “job” card.
Shut it down, cancel the Interstate Horse Racing Act, support DECOUPLING, and educate.
That’s my only plan of action. I want to expose this industry for what it is: a taxpayer money pit, a cruelty circus.
I cannot fathom how the commercial breeders say they love their horses when thousands of horses who can’t earn anymore on the track are shipped off to kill pens and loaded into double decker cattle and hog trailers for slaughter in Canada and Mexico. Even those conditions are rather horrible for these unwanted horses and mules. If I owned a thousand acres I would use half just to let the horses enjoy their remaining life free to just be a horse. It sickens me to no end that the fate of every horse or burro is a constant daily thing.