Last week on U.S. tracks (flats only; does not include training or harness casualties):
“Broke Down” – virtually without exception an industry euphemism for dead
Nationbuilder, Great Meadow (reported as “died from heart attack”)
Laura’s Babydoll, Santa Anita
“Vanned Off” – horse unable to walk off track under own power; good-chance dead
Sachicomula, Finger Lakes – subsequently confirmed dead
Saleofthecentury, Turf
Watch Me Go, Zia
Dionysus, Indiana
Secret Hunting, Indiana
She’s My Ghibli, Belmont – subsequently confirmed dead
Rosa Carina, Penn
Stag Tonight, Delta
Jaded Expression, Remington
Golden Silence, Santa Anita
Imperious One, Santa Anita
Fitz’s Storm, Hawthorne
Corona Ela, Los Alamitos
Secondswitch, Los Alamitos
Cry From the Heart, Penn
Old Harbor, Belmont
Gata Win, Delta
Rocky Policy, Laurel
Bobby McDuffie, Penn (“went bad”)
Lovely Wink, Penn
Hope Flys, Zia
Midnight Hawk, Belmont
Sayitright Kat, Gulfstream W
All Y’all, Keeneland
Kerisma, Mountaineer
Miss Furyofthewind, Zia
Sensational Dash, Zia
“Bled”; “Bleeding From Nostrils” – as a rule, indicates pulmonary hemorrhage
Emile, Hawthorne (also “vanned off”)
Slew Hunter, Remington
E Warfare, Belmont (also “vanned off”)
Ignotus, Laurel
Native Forest, Penn
(source: Equibase)
Thank you, Patrick for exposing the TRUTH!
Anyone know anything about Watch Me Go since he was vanned off on 10/17/2016?
“Is there anyway to find out the status of a horse named Watch Me Go? He was vanned off 10/17/16 at Zia Park. He is a 2008 Horse by West Acre. He was bred by the farm my husband used to work for, we have been following him for years. He made it into the Kentucky Derby but was not a contender. He has since made over $600,000. I am hoping he is still alive.”
Every State and their respective Racing Commission has their own protocol when it comes to releasing the names of racehorses who were subsequently euthanized after being “vanned-off.”
It’s a discombobulated mess that works in their favour which is hiding the dead; non-transparency a specialty of the industry.
Patrick would know about New Mexico since he submits FOIA’s to find out.
Increasingly, tracks are not releasing this information to the public, or via FOIA requests which is a blatant violation of the First Amnendment it seems.
Until it’s challenged, until a lawsuit is brought forward, they will continue to get away with this.
You can call the Stewards at Zia Park during office hours only not during the races.
So this Saturday between 9 AM – 11:30 AM CMT will get you through.
Their direct number is 575-492-6087.
Since this Blog is monitored by pro-horse racing interests I’m sure their on the phone right now ordering the Stewards not to release the status of WATCH ME GO, but you can try.
All the best with this. Please keep us posted.
The racing industry is forever declaring its commitment to maintaining integrity in this business. Let’s see if they advise Carolyn Hyatt as to the status of Watch Me Go.
Needless to say, these horses are put on public display, the industry invites the public to watch the races and therefore the public has the right to be informed of the condition of a horse when it’s vanned off.
Thanks Gina I will let the lady know.
I am preparing my FOIA requests for 2016, including, obviously, New Mexico. Will let you know as soon as I do.
Thanks Patrick.
The racing industry doesn’t discriminate when it fells its horses. I wish I had days, weeks, to go through Equibase, checking every horse’s PP on this list and the other casualty lists Patrick has provided. But then, it’s so heart breaking and infuriating…how can any caring individual believe that doing this to animals is acceptable?
There’s Midnight Hawk, a 5 y/o horse – a GSW and earner of 592K. Claimed by Rudy Rodriguez on 9-17 for just 12.5K. Then Rodriguez runs him in an AOC for 25K where the grey loses action, falls back, is pulled up and vanned off.
And Watch Me Go, an 8 y/o dark bay horse…like Midnight Hawk, a graded stakes winner…and has labored for earnings of 628K. On 10-17, Watch Me Go runs in a 5K claiming race – he, too, is pulled up and vanned off. (Both Midnight Hawk and Watch Me Go were claimed in their last races – Midnight Hawk’s claim was voided)
But then there is Jaded Expression…the chestnut gelding is only 3 y/o – and he’s pulled up and vanned off in his very first race.
Golden Silence is only TWO years old – a little chestnut filly who has brought her connections about 4K in her 4 races. In that 4th race, she fell back, weakened and was vanned off after the finish.
Old (by racehorse standards), young, big money earners and the “bread and butter” horses, geldings, mares, fillies and colts – and at all tracks, “elite” and “cheap”…injuries and deaths bring down racehorses daily.
Here is an article of interest – several racehorses mentioned, someone of them I’ve heard and read about. There’s a great deal of self-incrimination…how’s this paragraph for starters;
“Old horses – horses as old or nearly as old as Wake At Noon – regularly compete in North American races. Some are blue-collar claimers and never have been much more. Others once were stakes or allowance horses, set back by one big injury or the accumulation of many small ones, making last rounds in some dim corner of the racing arena. And there are the classy vintage models, whose bodies dip and weave as the ravages of time slip past.”
From the 12-9-2010 Daily Racing Form…
http://www.drf.com/news/how-old-too-old-racehorse
Joy, the racing industry is adept at self-incrimination and they never disappoint. Just recently, Ms. Jen Ruberto posted on this blog why she came after our group (specifically me) when we placed two anti-slaughter billboards close to the “hell hole” track….Mountaineer….after Danny R. Bird sent Deputy Broad to slaughter. She said, because of our activism, even MORE horses would disappear into the underground slaughter pipeline and yet apologists still support this industry. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Those individuals love the industry much more than they love the horses.
“Set back by one big injury or the accumulation of many small ones”.
This says it all.
Self-incrimination it most surely is – an admission of the blatant animal cruelty which is systemic in this so-called “sport”.
Thank you for the link, Joy.
The dying of any racehorse at any level is abhorrent.
This cruelty circus, death camp, and corruption pit doesn’t give one damn about these racehorses, and neither do the connections who exploit them.
Take in point MIDNIGHT HAWK. He made over $500,000 running his butt-off for people who could have done the right thing to ensure a soft landing.
Bob Baffert, the poster boy for horse racing with his smile to boot, is nothing more than a sociopathic monster, animal abuser, and mouthpiece for the industry.
Nobody, who really “cares” about a horse would subject MIDNIGHT HAWK to the rampant abuse in the claiming ranks, but he did!
Anybody with a heart would have ensured that MIDNIGHT HAWK got a good home. He more than deserved it, but don’t they all?
Over the years, there have been lots of racehorses, trained by him, DIE – lots!
Since the industry refuses to keep DEATH RATES on Trainers while going to great lengths to maintain WIN RATES this further confirms the deliberate cover-up of racehorses DYING in their care.
One could argue that it’s the Owners fault not the Trainer’s so that would be Mike Pegram.
This dude made his fortune peddling slaughtered animals via McDonalds.
So how can anybody expect compassion for animals from somebody like this?
His wife, a fur hag, has been seen at both the Derby, and BC wearing slaughtered animals on her back.
I’m merely pointing out the pattern of non-compassion for sentiment beings.
Mike Pegram, a multimillionaire, and Bob Baffert – this team had many racehorses DIE, and some sent to the gallows of claiming.
They are heartless while leaving a trail of the maimed, and dead from coast-to-coast over the years.
Hill N Dale farms multimillion dollar breeders of MIDNIGHT HAWK owned by John and Glenn Sikura whose well-connected tentacles reach into every corner cobweb of every major racetrack in North America, didn’t step up, and ensure a safe haven for this poor horse not unlike the majority of racehorse breeders.
Sad that these connections are not the exception, but rather common for this business model.
Moreover, they are revered, and rewarded by the industry.
Folks, there are no changes that this industry could do to eliminate the widespread legitimized cruelty, and abuse of racehorses.
In fact, the exploitation of racehorses for profit is the very foundation of this antiquated business model that has resulted in racehorses DYING in the dirt.
This example alone, and there are many like this, should be disturbing to any animal lover., and reason enough to shut it down.