More dead…
For the second consecutive day, Evangeline Downs recorded a kill: 5-year-old French Celebrity was a “pulled up, euthanized” (Equibase) in the 7th last night. The dead horse’s people: trainer, Samuel Breaux; owner, James Richard Daigle; breeders, Tom Curtis and Wayne Simpson; jockey, Alfredo Contreras.
From the NYS Gaming Commission:
3-year-old It’s Elementary “suffered a fracture to her right front leg while breezing [Friday at Belmont] – euthanized on track.” The dead horse’s people: trainer, Thomas Morley; owner, Travis and Eddie Racing Stable; breeders, Mr and Mrs M Roy Jackson.
8-year-old Cndiana Jones “broke left rear leg during training” yesterday at Saratoga Gaming and was euthanized. The dead horse’s person: trainer, Heidi Rohr.
3-year-old Alexa’s Miracle “was euthanized for verterbral disease” yesterday at Belmont. She had yet to be raced. The dead horse’s people: trainer, Christopher Englehart; breeders, Andrew Cohen and Mark Rosen.
One word: Accountability.
This industry carries on with no accountability to just about anybody. The racing commissions are a joke and are nothing more than a organized cover-up for the despicable acts of maiming, and killing.
So while they are getting enormous financial handouts via taxpayers or tax breaks, casinos, and secondary wagering outlets, they are not held accountable for this publicly-funded money.
It’s absolutely outrageous.
Essentially, it’s an endorsement of maiming, and killing of animals not to mention the cruelty, such as excessive whipping/beating, that occurs on the track.
This despicable cruelty circus must end.
It will end or be greatly reduced when DECOUPLING passes (eliminating casino money;the end of racinos), CANCEL the Interstate Horse Wagering Act (eliminating billions in secretive unaccountable wagering accounts). STOP betting on or watching horse races. (Don’t financially contribute to their coffers)
Racetracks will not survive without outside financial assistance. When that financial assistance is reduced or eliminated the corresponding demise of this industry will ensue.
If you like to gamble, gamble on slots or card tables, and save a racehorse life.
You have said this so well. I am sure if given the vote to decouple to the people, they would vote subsidies down. Not only because of the abuse and cheating, but because the money used to keep a failing industry running could be put to better use for all people, and not just an entitled few. For years horseman could have tried to help themselves, but all they want is a bigger piece of the free pie.
Thanks to you 20yr+ insider, and to you Rose.
Really, our government continues to support antiquated business models that are based on the exploitation of animals including the multibillion dollar meat and dairy industry.
Our world is evolving, and so are people.
It’s time to end these welfare handouts, and/or subsidize “green” industries.
Amazing books: Meatonomics: David Robinson Simon. Green is the New Red: Will Potter.
Over the last few days the purses in CA and at that sewer of a track, Aqueduct, were worth millions. There is plenty of money flowing into this killing game.
Shame on those involved in such a blatantly corrupt gambling business where the laws against animal cruelty are broken every day and cheating is the norm. But what is even more egregious is that politicians are hand in glove with this and those that could and should do something about the corruption and cruelty do nothing. In other words, our system of government and our law enforcement enables this obscenity to continue unabated.
Thank you for your continued work, Patrick. It is not going unnoticed – by those who battle for this gambling industry to end as well as by those who choose the industry’s life over the lives of the horses held captive in it.
I very rarely comment on pro-racing sites or on social media forums of those who support the industry – they are not the audience of my cause. But if I’m asked to comment by a fellow advocate/racehorse supporter, I typically will. Recently, in doing so, I surmise my comment was noticed by the program director of ReRun, a TB racehorse adoption organization. This individual is staunchly pro-racing which, in light of what her own website states, is quite troubling – “For the vast majority, their [racehorses] post-career fate is uncertain and often very sad.” VAST MAJORITY. UNCERTAIN fate and OFTEN VERY SAD. Now that’s pretty troubling AND telling about what the multi-billion dollar racing industry FAILS to do for its own “athletes”, wouldn’t you say? Yet, ReRun’s own program director attacks the work of Horseracing Wrongs and those who promote this work. And in doing so, she lies. And I quote her; “FYI on that list of dead horses, there are a few inaccuracies because several have been here with me and if I have a few, there must be a few more that have gone to other programs, private homes etc. Hotstufnthensome was reported once as shipped to slaughter although he had been at my farm for over 9 months…”.
I challenged her to list the “several” that HRW had listed as dead but according to her, were not dead and had been with her instead. I also informed her that Hotstufnthensome was NOT listed on either of the KIA lists (and in fact, Hotstufnthensome cannot even be found on the JC online name book OR in Equibase). So as I knew was impossible for her to do, she did not list the “several” horses’ names…she couldn’t…because her accusation was false. There is nothing the racing supporters can say in defense of the thousands of equine killings, so now some have resorted to lying. The truth hurts. Let’s keep sharing it.
Yes, absolutely, Joy – facts are indeed stubborn things. Thank you for exposing the lies and ignorance.
Joy, perhaps Rerun’s Program Director is confused as to the correct spelling of a TB’s name that she states was in her adoption program. LOL! This same individual states that we (I suspect this gal means you and me) “confuse an adoption program with a sanctuary”. Wow! She must think a lot of herself to state that we don’t know the difference between the two but I can assure her that we do. We have been picking up the broken bodies, discarded by racing, much longer than she has. She must be so proud to support an industry that maims, and kills, horses daily. It takes a special person to turn a blind eye year after year.
I often wonder about the racing supporters and their attempts to discredit those of us who are against horseracing. We often hear the same old tired comments….horses break their legs on trails, horses drop dead in pastures, horses are used and abused in other disciplines and on and on and on…ad nauseum. Yes, accidents involving horses do occur but not at the rate they occur in the racing industry. Horses in other disciplines, besides racing, are exploited and abused but that doesn’t negate what racing does to its athletes day in and day out and for what? So that someone can make a buck and be entertained.
Patrick puts in a great deal of time compiling the KIA lists yet we have the Program Director of ReRun attempting to discredit him by stating that there are a few “inaccuracies” and “several” of the horses on those lists have been in her adoption program. In essence, she is accusing him of lying when she is the one who is actually the liar. I would think she would relish the opportunity to prove Patrick wrong but perhaps she is fully aware that she can’t prove anything so she has wisely decided to keep her mouth shut. Just as so many of those who support racing are inclined to do, she attempts to discredit those of us who speak for the horses. She must deny, defend and deflect when it comes to racing because her paycheck depends on it.
Exactly Mary.
For example, After The Finish Line in California has banned me from all their social media sites because they support horse racing, and I don’t. Despite the fact that they rescue and re-home OTTB’s, and directly experience the by-products of an irresponsible industry out of control, they still defend it to get their donations.
Pro-horse racing people always discredit those of us who speak the truth. They got away with that many years ago, but not anymore.
People are becoming aware of this industry via education, and they see through the image they try to portray.
Right, Mary and Gina. We are treated like the enemy by those who are involved with racehorse rescue yet support the industry. Usually the first words out of their mouths are we are “haters” – yep, I agree with that…haters of the industry that cripples and kills horses every day. Yes, haters of a multi-BILLION dollar industry that doesn’t make certain EVERY SINGLE ONE of their “athletes” has a safe and secure retirement home after they are finished using their bodies for their own financial gain. It just amazes me that WE are attacked when WE are daily involved in trying to assist discarded racehorses into safe and loving homes! Do they think we’ve got nothing else to do? Just the other day, another pro-racing “advocate” complained on her blog about those of us who expose racing’s ills. According to her, we should “put our money where are mouths are” – we should not “sit behind a computer” and take time to write our “nasty comments”, but rather, we should contribute to Thoroughbred aftercare funding. Wow…1), how does this apologist know what I do – other than make my “nasty comments”! – or don’t do? And 2), so we can’t sit behind our computers and express thoughts and opinions but she can sit behind hers and write her pro-racing daily blog entries? The arrogance and entitlement are appalling.
That word…hater… is a special word used by those who support horseracing. An owner and I were communicating earlier this year, and this gal used these three words…hate, hating and hatred…seven times within a paragraph. I now call them her “special words”. I believe she must have learned them in grade school!
Another favorite of mine is this…”Those haters have never set foot on the backside of a track”. What dumb asses they are! I have said over and over and over (to no avail) that the reason I speak out against horseracing is because I HAVE spent years on the backside of a track. That seems like such a simple concept to me but, for some reason, these jokers just don’t get that.
WE should contribute to aftercare funding? Again, what an idiotic suggestion. I contribute thousands of dollars every single year to help the horses on which I haven’t made a dime. I don’t ask for contributions when my horses need their teeth floated or when they are due for spring shots. That is MY responsibility. Therefore, I would suggest to those who like to criticize what I do, STOP being a hater! Get up off your butt and go rescue some horses and, once you rescue them, support them for the rest of their lives. That is a lover of horses…not a hater!
Gina, I had to chuckle when you said that Dawn Mellen has banned you from posting on ATFL’s social media sites. I’m sure if I spoke the truth on Mellen’s site she would ban me, too. Again, she focuses on keeping the dirty secrets behind closed doors because she must keep the public, who, in general, knows very little about what really occurs on the backside of these tracks, in the dark. Mellen needs donations, plain and simple, to help the horses who have been damaged by the racing industry. She simply has to play the game just as many of the “rescues” do. If you speak out, you will most likely get your hand slapped and donations will slow to a trickle. However, with all that being said, I know that Mellen has helped many horses through her grant process. In fact, a few years ago, I donated a week’s vacation at my Florida condo for one of her biggest fundraisers of the year. She was very appreciative which many “rescues” aren’t. Case in point…I donated my condo to Remember Me Rescue when they had a big fundraiser at Lone Star Park three or four years ago. No one from RMR, and that includes Ms. Keen, Ms. Morgan, and Ms. Barthen, ever responded to me when I asked, multiple times, what was the amount of the winning bid and I never got a thank you! I find that unbelievable but that is the truth. I finally just gave up so, to this day, I don’t know the exact amount of revenue that my donation generated.
What really IRKS me is that the horse racing industry EXPECTS people to clean up their dirty mess that THEY create. Their dirty mess being the unwanted OTTB’s that are dumped when no longer profitable.
I thank people like Mary and Joy because I know that both of you do amazing work to rescue and rehome OTTB’s. You do it on your own UNPAID time PLUS spend your hard earned money when you had absolutely NOTHING to do with the exploitation. Your love for the racehorses are proven time, and again. So to anybody that criticizes or negatively labels any one of these ladies – STOP right there. You are barking up the wrong tree. You should focus your negatively on the industry that creates the problem in the first place.
It reminds me of people who call PETA extreme. For heaven’s sake – it’s not PETA that’s extreme it’s the horrific circumstances perpetrated on animals that are extreme! Instead of attacking PETA you should be attacking the people who are the perpetrators of the cruelty, and abuse! Talk about Displacement Syndrome!!
Anyways, They should be thanking both of you. Instead, they feel entitled to negatively label both of you just because you tell the truth about what exactly is going on? So typical of this industry and the pro-horse racing people who defend it.
Boy, would I like to see the day that the connections of the racehorses are held legally and financially responsible for them. That, of course, is just an unobtainable delusion of mine unfortunately.
I would love to see a system similar to child support whereby these dumpers must pay a minimum amount every month for aftercare or get thrown in jail. Again, just a thought that I know will never happen.
I also know that both Mary and Joy do a lot of charitable work in the stable area including providing food for Trainers that can’t even afford to feed themselves let alone the horses. That crowd is more like a majority of people not the minority elite that the industry focuses on and portrays.
Which leads me to another delusional wish: that people have to financially demonstrate that they can care for a racehorse during it’s career and after.
Again, the industry would block such progressive policies because they know full well that it would reduce the industry probably by about 70%! Then they wouldn’t have people fill races for them.
When you really analyze this industry it’s both equine and people that are being exploited by a few at the top who financially benefit from dumping horses.
It’s an ongoing system of exploitation, maiming, dumping, and killing.
This is the real truth about horse racing.