Friday on American tracks (flat-track only):
My Grandson, Albuquerque, “bled, vanned off”
Loaded and Wacky, Albuquerque, “vanned off”
Roll Smash Roll, Albuquerque, “vanned off”
Jessie Who, Albuquerque, “vanned off”
Christening, Belmont, “stumbled badly,” DNF
My Nickel Gray, Fairmount, “returned lame”
Shine Perfectly, Gulfstream, “hit the rail,” DNF
Flew Flicker, Los Alamitos, “broke down”
Conundrum Pass, Los Alamitos, “hit fallen rival,” DNF
Looking At Hershey, Prairie, “vanned off”
Thirty to One, Sacramento, “vanned off”
Arthur’s Honor, Santa Anita, “vanned off”
(source: Equibase)
Oh Patrick, this photo, I’ve witnessed this at race meetings a number of times and all I wanted to do was jump the outside rail and give the ill-fated traumatized horse some kind of comfort in any way I could. This horse appears to have suffered a catastrophic injury to his near (left) fore, he would’ve been in agony and the clerk of the course is forcefully pushing him into the “ambulance” (I call it the death wagon) when the horse should’ve been euthanased on the track to put him out of his excruciating pain, humanely. Ah yes, I can hear the racing apologists declaring that it might’ve been a fixable injury, some are fixable but not viable to spend the money, especially in the claiming races, so horse is destroyed. As we know the racing industry’s first priority is to be rid of the horse and not to put the screen around to do the euthanasing in full view of the public.
The unsuspecting public would naturally think when they look at this photo that because a racehorse is being put on an ambulance he is in the best of hands and being very well cared for – well nothing could be further from the truth. The industry puts these innocent noble horses into a truly life threatening environment resulting in horses being injured, suffering career ending injuries and dying. It’s horrific and intolerable!
Yes Carolyn it’s horrific, it’s antiquated, it’s unacceptable, and this industry needs to shut down.
The only way it’s going to immediately shut down is for the following to happen:
1. their never ending money trough needs to be stopped.
2. support decoupling so that casinos don’t have to financially support them plus run a live meet.
3. Cancel the Interstate Horse Wagering Act. It was only supposed to be temporary and our government has never cancelled it. This provides millions in unaccounted wagering money with little or no oversight.
4. Educate. This blog is doing a swell job at it.
5. Don’t watch or wager on horse racing.
6. Write your government.
7. We need to start a petition and get the conversation going.
8. We need to buddy up with other animal organizations who have extensive access to like-minded individuals who would like to see this industry shut down.
To all the fallen heroes yesterday, my heart goes out to you profit slaves who become disposable commodities for $2 bets.
It’s insanity, and it needs to stop.
Then there are the fall outs form the industry from the over breeding to supplying the slaughterhouse which is an environmental disaster.
Our society and planet can’t afford these antiquated business models anymore.
Racehorses need to stop dying, and the only way to do it is to shut this cruelty circus, and death camp down.
It can’t come soon enough for me.
Yes, organization can be a powerful force!