In an altogether fitting end to Del Mar’s summer meet, yet another horse was killed yesterday (Closing Day). Chasing Aces – all of two years old – suffered a slab fracture in the 5th and was euthanized. (The race was a Grade 1 Futurity worth $300,000, so the Paulick Report almost had to report the death.) This summer, at least 21 horses died at Del Mar or while being prepped off-site for upcoming Del Mar races. Carnage.
The ones I have been able to identify:
Presidential Air, July 15, race 6
Dynamite Charge, July 17, training
Pacific Swell, July 21, race 5
Whisky and Wine, July 23, training
Big Book, July 23, training
Dutchessa, July 23, race 2
Fasnacloich, July 24, race 2
Summer Scorcher, August 11, race 6
Hadfunlastnight, August 12, race 3
Unusualy, August 15, training
Alicanto, August 20, training
All the Marbles, August 21, training
Chasing Aces, September 5, race 5
Somebody told me that this was one of the most horrific breakdowns at Del Mar (as if they are not all horrific).
I’m physically sick to my stomach.
I can’t stand this anymore.
Please SHUT down this cruelty circus, and death camp – please.
So sorry for you CHASING ACES.
May you find peace away from this slavery ring full of pain, suffering, cruelty, abuse, beating, doping.
May your spirit give us the strength to continue our battle against a very powerful, well-financed, all boys network at the corporate level that ensures the legitimization of racehorse cruelty.
I will be a voice for you Chasing Aces. I promise you that you poor darling.
I’ll bet you don’t care about people 1/10th as much
It depends on the person.
Just because a person cares about how non-human animals are treated doesn’t mean they don’t care about humans. A person can have Compassion for all living things; it isn’t felt in percentages.
Well said and thank you.
Chasing Aces, who broke a 52-year-old Del Mar track record for five furlongs in his second career start, was euthanized after pulling up into the stretch run of Monday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity.
Ridden by Tyler Baze for trainer Peter Miller, the 2-year-old chestnut colt by Flatter broke from the rail post position in the seven-furlong Futurity but then ducked inwardly as the field left the chute and reached the main track. He record and battled for the lead between horses, then “took an awkward step leaving the turn,” according to the Equibase chart.
Miller told Daily Racing Form the colt suffered a slab fracture to his left knee, most likely when he ducked in.
“The knee slabbed and collapsed. The vets said they hadn’t seen anything like that in years,” Miller told Daily Racing Form. “The humane thing to do was put him down. I’m heartbroken, devastated.”
Paulickreport
There is a picture of Chasing Aces also along with the article.
RIP Chasing Aces
Slab fractures are a very common result of ongoing shock wave therapy treatment (SWT):
http://www.harrisequinedvm.com/pdfs/services/eswt-manual.pdf
This article is intended for vet use, but it doesn’t take much of a lay person to realize that they treat injuries with SWT, and then other catastrophic injuries occur.
SWT is very similar to the ongoing use of drugs to mask chronic issues which often results in catastrophic injuries.
When I was an Associate Steward at Del Mar in 2005, I was shocked (pardon the pun) to see the extensive, and regular use of SWT as common practice in almost every stable there.
I placed an undercover camera in some choice areas of the stable area (with authorization) that shows extensive ongoing use of SWT which is perfectly legal in the majority of horse racing jurisdictions.
So I observed their normal medical regime such as :
1. Vets would go into the barn where a cocktail of needles were injected into the lower limbs.
2. Immediately after the horse would be administered SWT in order to boost the injections making them more effective which translated to complete loss of sensation\pain.
3. They would then receive a series of treatments just prior to racing.
It’s important to note that, at the time, there were no rules governing the administration of SWT. I managed to pass some rules, but there was one thing I learned while in California.
Any rules that I attempted to pass that translated to Trainers not getting a competitive edge (since it was usually the top Trainers that did whatever it took to get wins) I was met with fierce opposition.
Anything that I or others attempted to pass for the health, and welfare of the racehorse was not passed or was often procrastinated to yet another meeting.
It was one endless meeting after another, lip service, window dressing, public relations releases, on, and on.
The CHRB had little control or did little to curb this as they constantly acquiesced the Trainers, and the Owners who wanted to get into the winners circle.
Almost all rules passed were more for the wagering profits, and the egos.
I saw racehorses that would be limping back lame after racing, that would go for SWT treatment, and would be walking fine the next day.
I cringed every night I went home. I knew that these were all accidents waiting to happen, and break downs were occurring on a regular basis at Del Mar back in 2005.
I would check the tapes, I would check the records, and the majority of horses that broke down, either career-ending or catastrophic, had a regular regime of SWT treatment.
Fast forward to 2016.
Yet again, the countless meetings, lip service, public relations statements by Joe Harper, all the same thing as back in 2005 – are you fuc*ing kidding me?
Countless lives lost, countless lives maimed both equine, and human.
Here’s another factor to consider:
they can bring in all the drug testing they want, but nothing detects SWT, and how frequent or recent it has been administered.
So Joe Harper came out proclaiming that they would implement this “super drug testing.”
He knows damn well that SWT is rampant at Del Mar, and he knows dam well that no amount of drug testing will address this widespread problem.
As Scott Blasi says on the PETA video: “any stupid idiot can do it,” and that’s a fact.
I observed “grooms” in Doug O’Neill’s barn administering SWT just before walking over to be saddled.
Doug O’Neill has a high rate of breakdowns, and horses dying in his care.
I often wondered just WHO these grooms were.
That’s another dirty secret. There appeared to be vets from Mexico getting “groom” licenses that work in top Trainers barns who administer things that are never on the record because nobody knows they are even doing it.
When I got onto this, and brought it to Fermin’s attention, I was immediately blocked from using the CHRB computer. They took away my password to get in. It was never reinstated.
Folks, this is DEEP. The corruption is DEEP, and the racehorses are paying with their lives.
The racehorses are gambling pawns, and the majority of owners are being used to fill races because they have it all wrapped-up for the most part.
Back to San Luis Training Center.
This is a doping, and SWT oasis for any Trainer because the things going on there is completely UNCHECKED as on most private training centers.
There is no oversight.
They ensure that only Trainers who are either part of the scheme or Trainers who keep their mouth shut get stalls there.
By the way, Doug O’Neill has a string of horses at the San Luis Thoroughbred Training Center in Bonsall, CA.
Nyquist, the champion, is stabled there.
END HORSE RACING ..JUST TERRIBLE WAY TOO MANY DIED. ALL FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY AND GREED ….THESE POOR HORSES HAVE TO ENDURE IS INHUMANE AND THEY PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE …BOO!!!
WHY DON’T THEY STOP THIS. THESE BEAUTIFUL ”YOUNG” HORSES ARE BEING KILLED…FOR MONEY AND SPORT. HOW ABOUT IF THEY RIDE THE JOCKEY AND THE OWNER AROUND THE TRACK AND SEE HOW THYE LIKED BEING WHIPPED TO GO FASTER.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again – this despicable industry is NO DIFFERENT than dog fighting.
Only dog fighting is a Felony, and so is the possession of dog fighting paraphanelia.
Dogs fight in a ring for bets. Racehorses run in a ring for bets. Both rings are a cruelty ring – the same thing.
Owners of fighter dogs keeps bloodline papers to increase value – the same with racehorses.
Most fighter dogs get maimed and/or killed during their short life for bets and “entertainment.”
Racehorses are getting maimed and/or killed all over America.
The connections of dog fighters, if caught, are jailed, fines are levied, a criminal record is established.
In horse racing, the connections (Trainer) that maim and/or kill racehorses are given rewards, and accolades.
Do I need to go on here?
Come on folks, horse racing is a cruelty ring, and death camp.
It qualifies for animal cruelty under our current laws, and it should be.
Every single time a racehorse has a catastrophic breakdown both the Owner and Trainer should be charged with animal cruelty, should have a Felony Animal Cruelty record on file, and should get hefty financial fines.
This should be automatic.
This industry legitimizes, and systematizes the ongoing maiming, and deaths of racehorses.
We, as Americans, should not accept this. We should not be complacent about this.
We should not accept this industry as a “tradition.”
Rather, blatant animal cruelty.
We must call this out for what it is, and we must ensure it shuts down.
As a former racehorse Trainer for years, I disagree with Miller’s take on this horrific death of Chasing Aces.
He suggests that the carpus slab fracture could have been from Chasing Aces ducking in.
No way.
He probably ducked in because his knee was sore to begin with and he was avoiding the pressure or pain on that knee.
Of course this is all speculation because the autopsy will probably be kept private.
Chasing Aces you have, yet again, reminded us of how despicable, heartless, and brutal this cruelty ring is.
You lost your life for bets. This is unacceptable, and we will end it.
I don’t need your sympathy LIC, but the racehorses do.
Channel your energy into stopping the maiming and/or killing of racehorses.
The racehorses are treated like trash, disposed of like trash – that is a fact.
Channel your energy into financially supporting the hundreds of racehorses who are needing homes or the rescue groups that need your lip service to get some money from the multi-billion dollar horse racing industry.
Finally, state your name coward. So we can find out exactly who you are.
“I don’t give out my name to scum like you,” – he says while hiding behind a fictitious name.
All you pro-horse racing people are cowards hiding behind a delusion of despicable animal cruelty, and disgrace.
“There is no fact to what you say you’re just a pathetic grandstanding bimbo.”
The DEATH list – the KILLED IN ACTION list stated here are FACTS so who’s the bimbo?
The hundreds of racehorses who end up at the slaughterhouse after being dumped by this industry are all FACTS stated by the Canadian Department of Agriculture, and are conservative at best since you scums (to use your word) put them under quarter horse papers to HIDE just like you hide too cowardly to state your name.
The DEATH LIST stated here is conservative at best because it doesn’t account for the private training centers, and the deliberately hidden deaths that occur daily.
All of the racehorses that DIED in the dirt for people to bet on are all FACTS.
So you should direct your anger towards ending this instead of attacking me.
Even if I were to stop being a voice for these voiceless racehorses there are plenty more behind me.
There’s an entire army of people that will shut down this business, and that army is growing daily.
Brilliantly articulated Your commrnt speaks volumes to those who feel horse racing is wriong and dog fighting is brutal. They are equally unacceptable. I grew up in Del Mar where the horses were taken to the sea every morning to enjoy the cool salt water. I don’t remember them dying. We just didn’t know. I will never go to a horse race again. Ever.
Thank you Lisa.
Nice to have supporters which translates to the racehorses having a voice which is my sole intention here.
Thank you, Lisa.
That just shows fools and their money are easily parted !
But the sad part is, these fools are supporting a corrupt business that kills and maims countless horses before they even reach maturity.
No redeeming social value whatsoever…
While the racing apologists are squirming over the exposure this site gives to an industry’s crippling and killing of sentient beings, they clearly show they’ve got nothing to defend the carnage – so they resort to making adolescent, moronic, and personal attacks while making certain to stay far away from the FACTS….the indisputable facts, the lists of dead horses – because if they defended an industry that kills thousands of horses AND sends countless more to be slaughtered, they would be admitting they are monsters.
May I put a link to your posts on our webpage http://www.animaladvocates.org
On Tue, Sep 6, 2016 at 5:55 AM, Horseracing Wrongs wrote:
> Patrick Battuello posted: “In an altogether fitting end to Del Mar’s > summer meet, yet another horse was killed yesterday (Closing Day). Chasing > Aces – all of two years old – suffered a slab fracture in the 5th and was > euthanized. (The race was a Grade 1 Futurity worth $300,000, so ” >
Yes, of course. Thank you.
Why don’t they just fix their injuries and retire them to a family that will love them?
There is no insurance payout for that Ann Bulick…
Because they are considered property not beings. It’s a horrible kind of numbers game.
i agree I wish they could all be rescued.
I wish they would start by not letting two year olds race.
Frances, 3, 4, and 5-year-olds are also immature.
I am horrified that this continues… do people not have ANY compassion?!! The worst part about this is that these horses are breed out of greed and disguarded in slaughterhouses if they are the losing races! Get your shit together people.
This is just bull shit! 21 26 horses dead for the price of greed? Horrific and you all should be ashamed of yourselves. I’m sick of these poor gorgeous animals dying for no more than greed.
It should be out lawed just like greyhound racing. STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR THESE POOR ANIMALS TGAT ARE VOICELESS❤️🐴🐴🐴
Shame on them for using horses like that. It’s abuse. This needs to stop. And it’s all rich people who don’t give a shit about he horse.
It’s not only rich people, but anybody who actively participates and/or supports this industry is either an abuser and/or enabler of abuse.
It’s just that simple.
Their victim is the racehorse, they pay the price – that’s the basis of this entire business model.
These beautiful animals are being broken and killed so that some fools can pay their dirty money to see this cruelty close up and personal and bet on those dying for their entertainment! Absolutely disgusting! Must be stopped!