Through a FOIA request to the New York State Gaming Commission, I have confirmed the following deaths at New York tracks in 2016:
Sharyn’s Dream, January 2, Belmont training, “fractured leg – euthanized on track”
Uncle Duncan, January 10, Aqueduct 4, “sesamoid fracture – euthanized”
Bellamy Xpress, January 16, Aqueduct 9, “fractured leg – euthanized”
Police Camp, January 22, Belmont training, “fractured cannon – euthanized on track”
Mini Muffin, January 22, Belmont training, “fractured both LF sesamoids – euthanized”
Power Crazed, January 29, Belmont training, “shoulder injury, developed nerve damage – euthanized March 24”
Songa, January 30, Belmont training, “fell, fractured leg – euthanized on track”
Wild Target, February 6, Aqueduct training, “collapsed and died after breezing – suspected cardiovascular event”
Alysaro, February 7, Aqueduct 7, “fractured leg – euthanized”
Scatoosh, February 18, Belmont training, “fractured leg – euthanized on track”
Art of Darkness, February 19, Buffalo 12, “fractured leg – euthanized”
Kibble, February 21, Aqueduct 7, “pulled up lame, suspected pelvic fracture, went into shock – euthanized”
Report For Duty N, March 11, Yonkers 2, “fell to the ground, chest compressions and meds administered unsuccessfully – suspected ruptured aorta”
Fool To Cry, March 31, Yonkers 4, “fractured cannon – euthanized”
It’s Elementary, April 8, Belmont training, “fractured leg – euthanized on track”
Cndiana Jones, April 9, Saratoga Raceway training, “fractured leg – euthanized on track”
What the Frost, April 10, Finger Lakes training, “fractured sesamoids – euthanized”
Loomin Lori Lou, April 12, Finger Lakes training, “fractured sesamoid – euthanized”
Cuantos, April 13, Aqueduct 1, “fell, sustained fractures of cannon and sesamoids – euthanized on track”
Copper Forest, April 22, Finger Lakes training, “collapsed and died while galloping out after breezing – suspected cardiovascular event”
Ideal Brandi, April 29, Saratoga Raceway 11, “collapsed and died on track, possibly bled internally or heart condition”
Hypnotist, May 12, Yonkers 3, “died on track after race – suspect cardiac event”
Big Time Rocks, May 14, prior to Buffalo 11, “”horse reared in stall, hit head – died”
Tug River Dylan, May 15, Saratoga Raceway 1, “collapsed and died on track after race – possible cardiac event”
Karenina Gal, May 18, Belmont 9, “fractured cannon, sesamoids; sedated, vanned off – euthanized”
Rock Show, May 20, Belmont 6, “sesamoid fracture and suspensory rupture – euthanized”
Soho Highroller A, May 23, Yonkers 4, “collapsed and died after race – possible cardiac event”
Quaralia, May 26, Belmont training, “pulled up lame, fractured cannon and sesamoid – euthanized”
Hadeed Fi Hadeed, May 30, Saratoga training, “pulled up lame, fractured leg – euthanized”
Feels Like Magic N, May 30, Yonkers 1, “shattered pastern – euthanized”
Noble’s Whim, June 1, Belmont training, “suffered a fracture to her left shoulder – euthanized”
Precise Accusation, June 1, Buffalo 9, “sustained unrepairable fracture to leg – euthanized”
Riding the Rails, June 4, Belmont training, “fractures – euthanized”
Mordi’s Miracle, June 4, Belmont 4, “pulled up, ambulanced off – euthanized”
Smile a Little, June 5, Tioga 2 (euthanized/died June 10)
Rose Bern, June 8, Belmont training, “fractured leg – euthanized on track”
Bustin, June 10, Finger Lakes training, “suffered an injury to fetlock – euthanized on track”
Xtreme Marine, June 11, Buffalo 7, “fracture(s) of the pastern, non repairable – euthanized”
Majestic Joe, June 12, Belmont training, “cannon and sesamoids fractures – euthanized”
Sixth Man, June 12, Saratoga Raceway, “bone fracture, fetlock chip; treated for 3 weeks without improvement – euthanized”
Anchorwoman, June 13, Finger Lakes 7, “fractured sesamoids – euthanized on track”
Bonita Luna, June 17, Belmont 3, “leg fracture – euthanized”
Escape to Vegas, June 18, Belmont training, “fractured sesamoids – euthanized”
Todo Onota, June 20, Belmont training, “fractured both LF sesamoids – euthanized”
Sweet Hot Toddy, July 5, Finger Lakes 4, “fractured sesamoids – euthanized on track”
Mary’s Legacy, July 9, Finger Lakes 5, “fractured sesamoids – euthanized on track”
Futurazo, July 14, Finger Lakes 4, “fractured sesamoid – euthanized on track”
Hisnameisdash, July 16, Finger Lakes training, “bowed tendon – euthanized”
Squire Creek, July 16, Saratoga training, “fell, fractured ulna – euthanized on track”
Was It Worth It, July 19, Finger Lakes 6, “left stifle swelling, ligament rupture – euthanized August 8”
Stradivari, July 22, Saratoga training (euthanized December), “fractured leg” (note: this info came from the Paulick Report)
Zamjara, July 23, Saratoga 1, “fractured leg – euthanized”
Rootformejustin, July 23, Saratoga 5, “pulled up, ambulanced off – euthanized”
Indian Nobility, July 27, Saratoga 3, “ruptured ligaments – euthanized”
Domestic Warrior, August 1, Saratoga 4, “fractured both RF sesamoids – euthanized on track”
Jesse’s Story, August 2, Yonkers 7, “horse fell, sustained severe skull fracture and died”
Iwannabejustlikeu, August 3, Batavia 2, “fractured leg, surgery; morning of August 20 found in duress, x-ray revealed leg fracture [same leg] – euthanized”
Jonrah, August 3, Saratoga training, “fractured cannon – euthanized on track”
Midnight Visitor, August 4, prior to Saratoga 4, “reared up while being walked to Assembly Barn, fell suffering head trauma – euthanized next morning”
Wheels Up Now, August 5, Saratoga training, “fractured sesamoids – euthanized” (note: this info came from the Daily Racing Form)
Recepta, August 5, Saratoga training (euthanized November), “fractured pelvis” (note: this info came from the Daily Racing Form)
Victorious Lover, August 15, Finger Lakes training, “fractured sesamoid – euthanized on track”
Tighten Up, August 19, Yonkers 3, “fractured pastern – euthanized on track”
Prince Corredor, August 20, Saratoga training, “collapsed and died after breezing – cardiovascular event”
Git On Bob, August 22, Finger Lakes 5, “collapsed and died”
Elusive Neko, August 24, Saratoga training, “fractured cannon – euthanized”
Bob Le Beau, August 25, Saratoga 1, “fractured cannon – euthanized”
Ring of Truth, August 25, Saratoga 10, “humeral fracture – euthanized on track”
Desert Trial, August 28, Saratoga training, “collapsed and died – suspect cardiovascular”
Private Thrill, September 3, Finger Lakes 5, “fractured sesamoid – euthanized”
Sayalittlprayrfrme, September 7, prior to Batavia 7, “rough trip in trailer to track, sustained laceration over L eye, seemed ok initially but was found down in stall and in extreme distress later that afternoon, vet treated without improvement – euthanized”
McDynamite, September 8, Yonkers 9, “pulled up, off on right hind; xrays later revealed extent of injury – horse euthanized”
Black Doblin, September 9, Aqueduct training, “fractured leg – euthanized”
Its Only Fair, September 9, Saratoga training, “collapsed and died after breezing – suspect cardiovascular event”
unnamed 2-year-old, September 17, Belmont training, “fractured humerus – euthanized”
Indiana Stones, September 17, Finger Lakes 3, “fractured knee – euthanized”
Sgt. Major Ross, September 17, Finger Lakes 4, “fractured sesamoids – euthanized”
Core Competency, September 19, Saratoga training, “fractured leg – euthanized”
Cam Dan Kadandy, September 23, Saratoga Raceway 3, “fell, fractured pastern and cannon – euthanized”
Dontevnthnkaboutit, September 26, Finger Lakes training, “ran loose, impaled shoulder on rail, extensive tissue & muscle damage – euthanized”
Notwhoiseemtobe, September 27, Finger Lakes 4, “fractured sesamoids – euthanized”
Apostles Creed, September 27, Yonkers 11, “started race, broke stride, pulled up – laid down and died”
Fort Smith, October 2, Belmont 4, “fractured leg – euthanized”
Onlytheshadowknows, October 3, Belmont training, “fractured sesamoids – euthanized”
unnamed 2-year-old, October 8, Finger Lakes training, “fractured pelvis, treated for couple days without improvement – euthanized”
Take Me Away, October 11, Finger Lakes 9, “fractured knee – euthanized on track”
Cinder Block, October 15, Belmont 2, “leg fracture – euthanized”
The Silver Frisby, October 17, Belmont training, “leg fracture – euthanized”
Sachicomula, October 17, Finger Lakes 8, “severe swelling upper femur/pelvic region, suspect fractured hip/pelvis – euthanized on track”
A Chip and a Chair, October 19, Belmont training, “fractured both RF sesamoids – euthanized on track”
She’s My Ghibli, October 19, Belmont 9, “fractured carpus – euthanized”
Baccelo, October 20, Belmont training, “fractured leg – euthanized”
Winter Games, October 20, Belmont training, “suffered fracture to leg – later euthanized”
Long Blooming Rose, October 21, Belmont training, “suffered ruptured suspensory – euthanized”
Spectacular Shirin, November 5, Finger Lakes 4, “fractured leg – euthanized on track”
Daves Gone Bananas, November 12, Belmont training, “fractured leg – euthanized”
Englehart, November 12, Belmont training, “fractured leg – euthanized on track”
Zingarella, November 16, Finger Lakes 6 (euthanized November 17), “fractured leg”
Our Sweet Lilly, November 18, Aqueduct training, “leg fracture – euthanized”
Kim Royale, November 25, Aqueduct 9, “pelvic fracture, no improvement overnight – euthanized next morning”
Flat Out Licked Em, November 29, Finger Lakes 1, “fractured carpus – euthanized”
Justenuffaddie, November 30, Finger Lakes 4, “fractured scapula – euthanized on track”
Flaming Fever, November 30, Finger Lakes 4, “hard collision out of gate, fractured sesamoid – euthanized”
Sinistra, December 5, Belmont training, “pulled up after breezing – collapsed and died”
Crystal Belle, December 10, Belmont training, “fractured both LF sesamoids – euthanized”
Condo Prince, December 31, Aqueduct 3, “fractured cannon – euthanized on track”
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.
Lemon Iceking, January 29, Belmont, “being treated for recurring bronchopneumonia without resolution – found dead in stall”
Klassic Pat, February 24, Belmont, “euthanized due to colitis”
Basanite, March 20, Belmont, “died 10 minutes after being medicated with Prednisolone and Acepromazine – adverse drug reaction”
Alexa’s Miracle, April 9, Belmont, “euthanized for vertebral disease”
Yodelmesomemagic, May 27, Finger Lakes, “found dead in stall – suspect colic”
Go Go Jo (pony), June 4, Belmont, “found recumbent in stall, rolled multiple times, unable to rise, aggressively medicated w/o improvement – humanely euthanized”
The Grey Bullet, July 14, Vernon, “found dead in stall”
Lebowski, August 2, Saratoga, “found dead outside stall, treated previous day for gastrointestinal issue, endotoxemia”
Lost in D Shuffle, September 25, Finger Lakes, “leg caught on walking machine, treated for cellulitis and lameness without improvement – euthanized”
unnamed 2-year-old, September 30, Belmont, “found dead in stall, fractured pelvis with hemorrhaging”
Willy, October 11, Belmont, “treated for colic without improvement – euthanized”
Surreal Dream, November 5, Finger Lakes, “treated for septicemia of unknown origin without any improvement – euthanized”
Actively, November 19, Aqueduct, “died in stall – apparent colic”
There can be no justification for the killing of animals for $2 bets. End it. Now.
I defy anyone to defend these horrific deaths so a 40 billion dollar gambling industry can continue to use living beings as if they were a deck of cards at a casino.
And what about before they were forced to race to their deaths? Here’s what one of the leading researchers on catastrophic breakdowns, Susan Stover, DVM, PhD, professor at UC at Davis stated in a Grayson/Jockey Club published interview: “ I estimate from the (hundreds of) bones I have looked at that well over 90 percent of catastrophic injuries have evidence of pre-existing injury at the site of complete fracture.”
“. . .well over 90 percent. . .”. That means that even before their deaths, these horses were suffering from accumulated injuries yet were forced to race and were beat with a whip while people cheered? Indefensible.
119 THAT WE KNOW OF … When my horse Bourbon Bandit broke down while racing on November 5, 2011 at Aqueduct Racetrack, it took me six months of phone calls, and emails to the NYSGC to get him listed on the database. Had I not repeatedly followed up… He would not have been recorded on the database as a breakdown. This may have been due to the fact that the investigator/recording party was a dear friend of the trainer. My own experience leaves me questioning how many other horses go unnoticed… And unrecorded. After all, what is the benefit to NYSGC to publicly list breakdowns and deaths?
There has to be a better way to make a living beside horseracing and the thrill of it. So many innocent YOUNG horses die for our amusement. Pretty sick!! This is just so wrong wrong wrong!
Yes, Debra, we agree. The use of horses in this industry is THE SAME as the use of dogs in dog racing, marine mammals held captive at SeaWorld, and the exotic animals enslaved and exploited in circuses. Exploitation of sentient being = exploitation of sentient being.
Thank you for your comment and support for the HORSES.