Killed in Action at Golden Gate Fields (from Stewards Minutes):
2-year-old And in the End – “fractured sesamoid to fetlock while training” March 9
2-year-old Knightly Storm – “collapsed and died while exercising” March 13
Also:
6-year-old Fantastic Atticus – “horse foundered in right hind,” euthanized March 9
If their not dying on the track, or at the slaughterhouse their dying from neglect. Today one of the “good folks” of horse racing, a major thoroughbred breeder in California had 24 of his thoroughbreds (bred specifically for horse racing) confiscated due to cruelty, and neglect.
He claims he’s been breeding racehorses for years, and that these horses are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. See link attached.
Well if they were worth that much then why didn’t you feed them? Why were there piles of manure in their inadequate pens where they paced daily looking for feed? Why didn’t you have a farrier come in and trim their feet once a month?
Still in denial he said that they were just fine. These “good folks” of horse racing obscure the good with the bad. They are so used to getting away with the bad that they think they are good!
They make me sick. Every one of them.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Dozens-of-Horses-Seized-from-Riverside-County-Ranch-After-Suspicion-of-Animal-Abuse-371127741.html
Gina, I bet the shameful neglect that Joseph Guivachon is responsible for goes on a lot more than comes to light. It is one more dimension of this cruel business. The horses are doomed on and off the track. And as we know, the big horses in this game are exploited in the breeding shed and are disposed of once they are used up or don’t produce winners..
This business is a no win situatin for the horse at every level.
Yes Rose, you pretty much summed up the horse racing business in its entirety.
Sadly, you are correct.
Follow up to the “good folks” in horse racing. As we have seen time and time again on this blog the horrific cruelty that goes on in the claiming ranks of horse racing.
The racehorses changing Trainers on a regular basis as they run them until many give way and die on the tracks. The most vulnerable are the ones with back class.
In the claiming ranks, many racehorses are running for their lives – literally.
So a follow up to the story above who had many of his racehorses worth “hundreds of thousands of dollars” according to Joseph Vachon confiscated due to neglect.
I obtained a recent printout of some of his horses (whether they were part of the confiscation or not I do not know), but it paints a pattern, it paints a picture that we have all been saying on this blog.
Here’s what I found:
http://www.horseracingnation.com/person/Joseph_Guy_Vachon#
It shows his horses running for their lives in claiming, and just look at the finishes! This guy is in major denial. He’s one of many in this business.
Patrick, I really hope you read this comment. I really hope you file FOIR for these racing days at Gulfstream Park.
I’m absolutely disgusted at the results of the racing weekend at Gulfstream Park in Florida. Now let’s not forget that this racetrack is considered a “premier” racetrack in the business where only the richest and best run.
Well, the richest and best certainly doesn’t make them immune to maiming, and possibly killing.
Please check the Equibase results for Friday, March 19. Almost every single race there was a racehorse that was EASED. Eased indicates a serious problem. It could mean later euthanized or many other things. There was a major spill as well. One witness told me that it was a miracle that some jockeys and horses didn’t die, but said he was sure some were euthanized in the stable area after the spill. Can’t confirm.
Saturday, March 20, 2016 Almost every race at Gulfstream Park had a horse that was EASED. Race #1, Street Tail. Race #4 Sarvara Star EASED. Race #6 Atlantic Surprise PULLED UP. Race #8 Twist ‘n Bake EASED. Race #9 Shape of My Heart EASED. Race #10 Pulled up. Walked-off. Race #12 Beauty Gladys NO MENACE.
How is this death camp and cruelty circus allowed in 21st century America?
PLEASE PASS DECOUPLING. It can’t come soon enough.
This is just terrible, Gina. Just makes me feel so sick in the stomach to think of these INEXCUSABLE sufferings of these noble horses who were purposefully bred purely to be raced until they suffer career ending injuries, die or are no longer viable or useful. How shameful is that! It just beggars belief that this animal cruelty is ongoing and the industry is damn well doing nothing about it!
All these pro-racing studies, researching, etc. are just pathetic propaganda oozing out like slime from the so called racing industry experts and so called veterinarians. I attended a symposium on racing where i am recently and at least one vet had the guts to say that he was ashamed with what he witnesses going on with the horses. But that’s just not good enough in my books – as the saying goes “the standard you walk by is the standard you accept”.
Thanks Carolyn. I agree with everything you say.
As the economic pressure to increase bets, to placate casino money, to increase profit is the fundamental business model, the racehorses are paying with their lives.
Trainers and owners are playing Russian roulette with not only the racehorses, but the human lives as well. The industry is supporting this because nothing is ever done.
Moreover, a good point you stated, is that all these studies, committees are just pathetic propaganda because nothing ever changes.
There are still racehorses being maimed and killed almost every day on every track in this country. This is totally unacceptable. These racetracks are one-stop death camps for many of these racehorses running in the lower claiming ranks. If they manage to survive the Romanesque coliseum-like blood bath, then they are likely to end up at kill auctions, and subsequently the slaughterhouse.
No amount of Longrun organizations can meet the demand of unwanted racehorses once they are no longer profitable. Even this is another public relations scheme with some getting homes, but certainly not enough.
In any given year, there are anywhere from 30,000+ foals bred and born for this industry. The industry knows full well that there will never be enough homes for these profit slaves.
It’s almost as if they have a built-in death plan to save them a trip to the kill auction.
Another thing that is never mentioned because we are too busy keeping up with the deaths is the environmental disaster of horse racing. From the racetracks to the slaughterhouse the environmental impact is extremely negative.
Absolutely disgusting, and unacceptable in the 21st century.