Through a FOIA request to the Washington Horse Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at Emerald Downs in 2016:
Walter Park, February 14, Emerald training, humerus fracture
City Bench, May 8, Emerald 10, sesamoids fracture
Air Cargo, May 19, Emerald training, metacarpus fracture
Slew’s Chet, June 17, Emerald 7, sesamoids fracture
Corporal Agarn, July 1, Emerald 4, metacarpus fracture
The Chilli Man, July 17, Emerald 5, sesamoids fracture
Jaxkingsandqueens, July 21, Emerald training, scapula fracture
Badrock Canyon, July 27, Emerald training, carpus fracture
Quick Navigator, August 14, Emerald 1, sesamoids fracture
Twelfth Fan, August 28, Emerald prior to race 10, skull fracture
Cascade Cat, September 3, Emerald 8 (euthanized September 5), sesamoids fracture
Kafwain’s Ghost, September 10, Emerald 3, luxation of fetlock
In addition, the following horses died on track grounds from what the industry calls “non-racing” causes. While this may be technically true, morally they are no less casualties of this vile business than the ones above.
Italian Grinder, February 23, Emerald, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis
(last raced December 27 – “DNF”)
Just a Jewel, July 9, Emerald, “septic joint”
(awaiting first race)
Chaching Pete, September 6, Emerald, colitis, gastric ulcer
(last raced August 27)
There can be no justification for the killing of animals for $2 bets. End it. Now.
Let’s look a little closer at the three horses that the industry considers “non-racing” causes:
Italian Grinder was a baby — only two-years-old when he raced in November and December of 2015 albeit he was not euthanized until 2016 so he lived to see his “universal third birthday on January 1. His first race on 11-17-15 is telling: he was “bumped at the break, moved four wide at the turn and gradually weakened”. Anyone in racing can tell you that a horse that intentionally moves wide at the turn is desperately trying not to put weight on the inside leg because it hurts. The horse knows that is not the place to exit the track so that is not the reason for going “wide”. The horse is just trying to go straight so it hurts less. He did not race again until 12-27-15 where he “dropped far back and was eased” and was charted as a Did Not Finish (DNF). Died of non-race causes? Look again at what was demanded of this youngster.
Just a Jewel never made it to race but DID die from a “septic joint”. Guess what the number one cause of a septic joint in a racehorse is? Infection from a joint injection. Died of non-race causes?
Chaching Pete, colitis, gastric ulcer. Research shows that 80-90% of racehorses have ulcers due to the unnatural living conditions and stress. This horse raced for SEVEN straight years starting in 2010 through his last race August 27, 2016 and dead 10 days later. SEVEN years but his ulcers and ultimate colic are considered non-race causes?
The day we have transparency and truth from the racing industry will be their demise and they know it.
Thank you all for continuing to expose what you can.
Thank you for explaining the causes leading to these 3 poor horses deaths. Flagrant abuse of the innocent!
You’re most welcome, Jean. It’s a painful curse being aware of what these horses truly suffered because they raced yet a blessing that I know their lies and the continual blatant cover ups by the racing industry. And thank you for caring and taking the time to post!
More often than not, racehorses who die on the track have a pattern of PP’s that usually contain 1 DNF, lugging out or in, refusing to enter the gate, and/or non-competitive finish(es).
Furthermore, high level multiple drug violating Trainers have at least one horse die under their direct “care” validating the studies that regular use of dope to increase performance or mask chronic issues is the major contributing factor to catastrophic breakdowns.
99% of racehorses are whipped at some point during their races, and often during training.
It’s a mental and physical punishment drive that resonates in their memory so the next time they run, they will not protect themselves knowing that the beating is about to come.
Most, if not all, are whipped prior to breaking down validating this statement.
From the starting gate to the finish line it’s a recipe for disaster, and beyond the finish line it’s almost impossible to find them a home now.
The horse racing business often uses the term “born to run,” but one would have to consider “born to die.”
The words being spewed by the industry such as “non-racing” death or the deliberate omission of race replays showing racehorses dying are all designed to hide the truth.
We know otherwise, and for those of us who know, we will continue to educate.
How must these horses feel when they’re whipped when giving their all and cannot go any faster? Pushed beyond their physical limitations.
And despite them doing their best, they know that the whipping isn’t going to stop.
I had a Draft horse yrs ago that came up from California. He developed EPM. It is spread between birds and possums. Hard to say that was because of the race tracks… Things do happen, but I can honestly say that track horses have great care. Other disciples don’t list casutilies so putting the blame on just tracks is unfair…
“track horses have great care”
It appears you have difficulty with the truth and clearly you know nothing about the life of the racehorse.
Walter Park was not a training injury. He reared while on the hotwalker, missed his landing, and fell. How do I know? I raised him and had people sending me photos of him lying on the bark while they tried to get him up.
That was the type of accident that can happen anywhere horses are kept.
He is missed.
He was exploited by and killed in the service of the racing industry. “Missed his landing,” “accident that can happen anywhere” – you should be ashamed to even write those words.
Just who are you trying to kid? The horse you raised was forced to live in an environment adverse to his well-being and he died trying to cope with the unnatural stresses placed on him. And why did he rear on the hotwalker? He was fearful of the task asked of him and no surprise he fell and suffered death. Try as you might, you will never be able to justify his death. Shame on YOU.
Ms. Wilmot, I spent years on the backside of a low level track and watched hundreds of horses, over the years, on hotwalkers. Talk about unnatural. Horses forced to walk in circles for close to an hour at a time because the people in charge don’t want to hand walk the horse. I saw horses spinning around and bouncing up and down on those walkers and some walkers weren’t in the best of shape because many tracks don’t maintain their equipment on the backside. If Walter Park had lived a “normal” life, with plenty of turnout, I doubt he would have died for human entertainment.
I repeatedly witnessed the hotwalker speed sticking and going so fast that a racehorse would fall down and be continuously dragged around in the tight small circle hanging from their neck.
A high level Trainer at Woodbine (that had about 60 stalls) left the barn leaving his staff in charge of the walking machine.
Lo and behold the grooms went home and forgot about the horse on the walking machine. This was in 90 F weather, hot sun, the horse sweating with no access to water, and it died.
It wasn’t discovered until about 1 hour later laying in the spot it dropped with the machine still going. I’m not kidding you – true story.
Since this high level Trainer is direct buddies with the Ontario Racing Commission it was never reported in the public records, and everybody was told to shut up about it.
This is the business you support?
Not only were their abusers directly responsible for this racehorse death, but the enablers of the abuse, and you are one of them by supporting this horrific display of animal cruelty.
All I can say is that most of you certainly don’t know much about horses, or how racehorses live and train. Enjoy yourselves glorifying the anguish of others.
(No one notes that if the information you received is not factual, that there might be others miscategorized as well?)
Ah yes, Emily Wilmot, what would we know about horses and the life of the racehorse?
So you stand up for horses on the paulick report but come on here and say enjoy yourselves glorifying the anguish of others don’t be so stupid if your going to cry about your racehorse dying maybe you shouldn’t ask them to lead that life and put them in such a risky situation to say the least, as far as your little comment in parentheses you should take that up with the industry first considering nobody knows how many horses are lost each year
Emily, I suggest you go ask the horse racing industry for the DEATH FACTS since they are inept at hiding their dead including omitting video footage of racehorses dropping dead in the dirt, refusing to furnish names of racehorses who DIED on their racetracks both during a race and during training hours.
So we know too well about what happens on those cruelty rings called racetracks.
In this entire scenario, it’s the racehorses who experience “anguish” as you refer to it, and we certainly don’t glorify that as the industry you support does with their fancy hats, mint juleps, and party down atmosphere.
There’s only one thing going “down” at the races, and that’s racehorses dropping dead.
That’s a fact, and that’s something that you participate in and/or support?
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Ms. Wilmot, it is BECAUSE I know a lot about horses, including how racehorses train and live, that I have turned against an industry that chews them up and spits them out.
How many horses go to the slaughterhouse that do not die on Emerald Queens grounds? What they do in horse racing is Despicable. Just like our American athletes they require a drug test to be done before performing why don’t they do that with horses like they do in the rest of the world why do we throw our horses away like they’re nothing?