Last week in American horseracing (not including training and harness casualties).
“Broke Down” – racing-speak for dead
“Vanned Off” – unable to walk off track under own power; many, if not most, of these names will re-surface on my year-end FOIA kill reports
“Bled,” “Returned Bleeding From Nostrils” – usually indicates pulmonary hemorrhage
Silverscreenactres “pulled up lame, vanned off” at Parx
Gold Line Express “broke down” at Will Rogers
Callmeback “went wrong, pulled up in distress, vanned off” at Mahoning
Sweet Sunday “vanned off” at Sunland
Market Kitten “vanned off” at Turf
Lady Gregoria “vanned off” at Tampa Bay
Keihl Crissia “broke down” at Golden Gate
Silver Lining John “vanned off” at Oaklawn
Unhinched “fell, DNF” at Charles Town
Christmas Barn “fell, DNF” at Charles Town
Michaels Butterfly “was pulled up lame, vanned off” at Laurel
Chiseled in Stone “vanned off” at Los Alamitos
Summer Solution “vanned off” at Tampa Bay
She’s So Carolina “came back bleeding from the nose” at Charles Town
Groom Scholarship “pulled up lame, vanned off” at Charles Town
Littleriverrock “vanned off” at Oaklawn
Exquisite Bling “broke down” at Oaklawn
Solar Zone “broke down” at Santa Anita
Delta Court “vanned off” at Turf
Kid Cruz “sluggish under the whip…two to three bad steps…vanned off” at Aqueduct
Rock Flavor “vanned off” at Santa Anita
(source: Equibase)
Thank-you Patrick for exposing the real world of horse racing.
These Death Statistics are indisputable facts, and they paint a macabre picture.
We know that racehorses are dying in the dirt on racetracks all over America.
We know that ALL racehorses, from Claiming to Stake level, are dying for dimes, and dollars.
As if the maiming, and dying wasn’t worse enough – it’s the lack of legal accountability, the lack of transparency, the deliberate cover-ups by eliminating Race Replays of racehorses snapping their legs off before they drop dead in the dirt or on the turf, it’s the elimination of racehorse names (compliments of Magna Entertainment who owns Santa Anita, Golden Gate) to actually PROTECT these people who maim, and kill racehorses.
They can argue that they don’t “deliberately” kill them, but even that is questionable in many cases.
The “deliberate” aspect is a grey area because we know that there is a distinct pattern leading up to the deaths of racehorses on racetracks.
Most racehorses have a pattern of “DNF’ in their PP’s, or lay-ups, or early pounding on under developed muscoskeletal bones at 2 years old,
There are also a small group of Trainers who have a long list of racehorses who have died under their direct training methods that are revered as they are inducted into the Racing Hall of (SH)ame.
Older racehorses with backclass are especially vulnerable.
Horses like BEN’S CAT.
Ben’s Cat is now 10 years old. He’s a multiple graded stakes winner. Ran his heart out for this despicable excuse for gambling,
Earnings: $2,642,282
That’s right folks. This dude made over 2 million dollars, and STILL is in training and racing.
His connections claim that he’s “sounder” than ever, and really “loves” his job as per Paulick Report.
I beg to differ.
They can make those ridiculous claims because we have no idea how many times Ben’s Cat joints have been injected, how many needles have plunged in and out of his veins, what dope he’s on, what they are doing to patch this horse up and keep him going.
We simply don’t know, and the racing industry wants it that way because if people knew just what these racehorses endured on a daily basis they would be outraged.
Most racing jurisdictions don’t require a necropsy when a racehorse drops dead on a race track so the cover-up continues.
Knowing that racehorses are dying on a daily basis should be reason enough to NOT support this business model, to educate people, to expose it for what it is: a cruelty circus and a death camp.
Unbelievable that this was just last week alone. I keep a watch on Facebook. Gulfstream Park is a horse’s nightmare.
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To correct your article, Kid Cruz was not destroyed. Please refer to the article written about him on DRF and Paulick Report. Thanks!
I did not have Kid Cruz as destroyed. Please read more carefully.
Treazure Morningstar: you forgot to mention that KID CRUZ was being whipped and beaten when he was “slugish,” and not responding.
You see that’s what happens on racetracks every day in America.
Racehorses are being whipped/beaten when they are more than likely SORE and in PAIN.
Their attempts at protecting their possible chronic issues are vain at best.
His “slugish” response was vilified by this deplorable business when it was really KID CRUZ protecting his life.
He was very lucky that he escaped alive thank goodness for his “slugish” response.
For many others they continue to run in pain, suffering under the beatings of a whip only to make that one last “bad step” (as described by this business) only to end in them going down in the dirt.
What a despicable business model that needs to end now.
Spot on, Gina. I was only looking into the death of a horse (where I am) yesterday. This beautiful looking horse was pushed extremely hard as soon as he jumped out of the gates by an aggressive jockey. Horse cannot maintain the fast speed and begins to drop back. Jockey whips him, horse tries to improve its position but can’t despite the fact that he’s giving his all. Jockey doesn’t accept this and gets stuck into the horse with the whip, again. Then horse suffers a catastrophic limb injury, sickening to watch this strikingly beautiful horse die like this.
If he hadn’t been whipped, which was pushing him beyond his limitations, this horse would not have died.
Whipping not only injures (tissue damage) a horse but causes both physiological and psychological pain to the animal.
Whipping is definitely a factor in these racehorse deaths.
Callmeback had a slab fracture of his knee and was euthanized – was told by a friend he was a ” kind” horse, too. And Nowalking was ultimately euthanized from injuries sustained after racing at Santa anita
HALOS AND ANGELS.
The PP’s says it all.
With at least 1 DNF and a slew of last place finishes, by 15+ lengths no less, she has got to be suffering.
There is nobody protecting the downfall of Halos And Angels – nobody.
If there were then she wouldn’t be on a racetrack running for her life.
How she is permitted to continue training, and racing clearly shows that people in this business are either abusers or enablers of the abuse.
She is being run back in less than 2 weeks on some occasions.
She’s entered for another round of abuse in 4 days.
Will she make it out alive, to live another day of abuse?
Or, will she become a Death Statistic on this Blog?
Her “caregivers” don’t seem to give a damn, and neither does anybody in this despicable business.
She just came up in my virtual stable, Gina. The inexcusable abuse continues for HALOS AND ANGELS.
Nothing has come up for JILL’S REFLECTION another horribly abused mare – maybe she’s having a turnout.
And nothing has come up for SHAMROCK ROAD and i’m worried about him. His original trainer/part owner, Edward Charles Sexton, raced SR into the ground as a two (2) year old but ECS declared on this blog in 2015 that SR was well cared for (or words to that effect). February 2016, new owner is Dream Ridge Racing and trainer, Richard Markham (prior to his current connections, SR was sold to Richard Zielinski as sole owner/trainer who raced him once only). Sexton and Mary Grace Mead bred Shamrock Road and one would think that he and Mary would keep in contact with the current trainer so that when his racing career came to an end they could save him from slaughter.
SHAMROCK ROAD last raced at Mahoning Valley on November 15, 2016 coming home 8th/10 runners earning the grand sum of $130. According to the equibase chart SR was “no factor”.
Does anyone know where he is?
Carolyn, for what it’s worth, the following is copied and pasted from a racing supporter’s FB page (dated May, 2015) regarding Mary Mead – breeder of Shamrock Road;
Here are the facts: “on April 21st Mary Mead came to inspect horses at Midwest TBs in Ocala, Florida, she selected 5 American Josh, Gone County, Ghost Rider My Sonny Boy and Maharani Ursuala. She picked them up on April 23 at 2:30 PM from Midwest TBs to take to her farm to begin rehoming and second careers. On April 25 or within 48 hours of obtaining these 5 horses, they were at the kill sale in Knoxville Tennessee. It is 12-14 hours hauling to Koxville. American Josh, My Sonny Boy and and Maharani Ursual went to slaughter. On April 28th Midwest is notified that 2 horses were rescued in Louisiana kill pen by Donna Keen at Remeber Me Rescue. They were Ghost Rider and Gone County. On April 28th before they were notified, Midwest allowed Mary Mead to get the remaining horses, both mares and geldings. After Midwest is notified they notify the person in Florida who Mary Mead established a friendship with in order to obtain the horses. She in turn had repeated phone calls to Mary Mead that she would come get the horses back, and she showed up on the 30th at 10:00am and all the horses were gone except 2. At that point she called me and I started contacting rescues and had her put up the postings, with help from Midwest. On Friday an intermediary contacted Helen to arrange for the possible sale back of 11 of the geldings. That individual was Jerry D. Maulsby a/k/a Spud. It was arranged that he would sell the horses back to Midwest for for 425 per horse or $4500.00. A meeting was arranged for noon on Saturday May 2 to meet with Maulsby at a shopping center in Ocala Florida. We went to the shopping center and meet with Maulsby who said the horses were 10 minutes away. After demanding the money first he finally agreed to drive us, which included 4 horse trailers, myself and Helen. The farm manager Joe from Midwest led the trailer contingent. When we arrived, I immediately recognized Norman Franklin’s black flat bedtruck. After 8 years and 4 years of litigation with Mr. Franklin I am aware that he is a kill buyer and hauler, and he maintains a kill pasture. He was not present and allegedly out of state. We were directed to a pasture of horses and the assistant Farm manager immediately began to identify and lead out the Midwest geldings. We recovered Barham, Blind Hope, Dogwood Barto, Family Foundation, Late Developer, Lord Carmen, Mojito Man, Morales Red Hot Ridge, Trippin with Tay and Yenzen. Later in the day we recovered Golf Widow and Master Dunker. We also confirmed Hoosier Harbor is OK. However we are missing 3 geldings Spud claimed he sold to a show horse barn and would try to get them back. And there are 10 mares still missing that were not located at the embryo transfer vet clinic as Marry Mead had stated. The missing geldings are Fortune Afar Tattoo #M09016, Shepherd’s Vision Tattoo #N05007 and Summer in Vegas #O04134. The mares that are missing are Chief’s Prize Tattoo #M26650, Ekati Sauce Tattoo #P22344, Happy Honor Tattoo#O12213, I’m Nacho Baby Tattoo #O04593, Kaitlyn’s Cat Tattoo #M12516, March Majesty Tattoo #O22292, My Kind of Town Tattoo #P18989, She’s No Bull Tattoo #I19456, Skylar’s Vow Tattoo #N32812 and Saint Anna Carina #M27919. Altogether 13 horses are still missing. There has been obstuction, misdirection, and misleading information from the people involved in order for the horses not to have be found and recovered. We worked with the rescuers and the tattoo identifiers in an effort to get the word out. We have gone to Law enforcement, both local State and Federal. We have notified the State Agricultural services. I have spoken to Mary Mead’s attorney in Ft. Lauderdale, who coiencidently represented Norman Franklin in the early stages of my litigation with him, and now we are making this public news. This is an ongoing case and as more information is obtained it will be made public.
signed by Laurie D. Hall, Attorney, Ocala, Florida
Thanks for putting this up, Joy.
The ugly truth comes out!!!
Ironically – about Halos and Angels- I approached the trainer through a friend to see if I could buy her as a riding horse. Trainer said he has had a lot of people interested in her and have asked him about buying her- owners are refusing to sell. When I saw she ran so poorly last time out- I asked again – and was told “you can talk to the owners and see what they say”.. I didn’t try the owners because it felt like maybe that would be harassment. I saw she was enters again. Clearly not racehorse caliber, not sure why they keep trying. Cringe.
SD, there is a group of us following Halo and we have been doing so for a couple years. Her exploitation never seems to end. There is much more to the story than I can post here but suffice it to say that we haven’t given up.
Mary- I mentioned that Halos was being watched to my friend who tried to be the liaison between myself and the trainer. Her response was – “oh good, hopefully they make a mercy claim on her”. I would love to do that. I just don’t have the money right now. But hopefully someone does soon.
Oh and good news about Kid Cruz- he is being gelded and retired. Apparently tweaked a tendon but will be ok!
Kid Cruz is one incredibly lucky horse. The 2011 bay was a MGSW and made nearly 800K for his people. That obviously wasn’t enough for them – after all of that money and a 7th place finish in the January 21 Native Dancer Stakes, they put him up for sale. First in an AOC on February 19 – $62,500 – he was “asked but came up empty”, finished 7th of 8 and had no takers.
So they dropped him further. March 19, he ran with a 40K price tag on his head and Naipaul Chatterpaul put in the claim – which he then voided because of the bowed tendon.
The Kid Cruz “story” is like so many other class horses’ stories…makes a great deal of money for his connections but then is put at further risk by having to continue racing – cheaper and cheaper – until everything is taken from the horse. Even an individual commenting on the PR acknowledges this disgusting injustice; “The horse was showing something was not right in his past few starts and since they (owner Vina Del Mar Thoroughbreds LLC & Black Swan Stable and trainer Linda Rice) paid 50K for him and he earned them over 700K they couldn’t find him a home and had to race him for 40[K]?”
Kid Cruz narrowly missed being in Chatterpaul’s hands – the trainer who ran Halos and Angels 4 times in just 20 days. He’s also been suspended for medication violations – http://www.drf.com/news/trainer-chatterpaul-suspended-fined-medication-violations
Oh crum- I just noticed that HAlos and angels is entered in a 7,500 claimer too. If it was a 4,000 I might have been able to gather up that much, but not 7,500. And she is in way over her head at that level even. So sad
SD, given that HALOS AND ANGELS was vet scratched and has been going so poorly, I cannot imagine anyone in racing parting with $7,500 to buy her.
One would hope that her connections might show some humanity by reducing the price on her beautiful head so that she goes to a good home.
The following landed on my desk – author unknown.
BARRON’S STORY
I have a story to tell you, one that we were unsure if it was appropriate to share. A lot of factors played a role in our decision to finally open up, but mostly, we wanted everyone to see the truth.
Hi, My name is Barron.
I am an 11 year old thoroughbred.
My journey began as a race horse and that is where I saw my first streak of fame.
They say that the feeling, the sound and the atmosphere of a racetrack is something beyond anything you could ever imagine. Everyone is yelling, screaming and calling for you to come first. Everyone is excited, but we are scared.
I retired at 11 years old. I did not sustain an injury due to being hurt in a fall. I did not sustain an injury and then get shipped off and sold to slaughter, but because I was deemed useless and no good for making money, I still found my way to (name of his new home deleted).
It became obvious that something was wrong when I wouldn’t gain weight. I really wish I could of told them why that was. It became apparent that I was unwell the first time I collapsed. They all rushed around me, upset, worried and scared.
This is the first time I met a very kind vet that didn’t give me a ‘second chance’ so that I could make more money. He gave me a second chance because he wanted to see me healthy and happy.
My team was advised to give me a good diet so that I could gain and maintain weight. They were hopeful to see results and improvement within a few days.
Weeks passed and I still hadn’t gained weight. I became more sore and I had more falls. “A bit more time, he will pick up” they were so supportive and loving. They wanted to fix me, to heal me and to save my life. I just wish that they knew why I wasn’t getting better.
Days would pass and the team would spend hours massaging me, kissing me and loving me. I felt so special in a few small months compared to my 10 years living the life of a race horse.
Some days I felt a small boost of energy as if I was getting better, but deep down I knew that I wasn’t. The girls all cheered and cried seeing me walk comfortably, even seeing me eat a full meal put a smile on their face so I tried so hard to keep motivated and keep improving.
I realized one day that I was so happy here, this is where I wanted to die. It wasn’t worth pretending anymore and I knew they had felt previous heart break but they were strong enough now.
This team of people saved my life from being painful and miserable. They pushed me to get better and they never gave up but I made the decision to stop being brave and show my true pain. I couldn’t keep pretending that I was getting better when I knew that I was getting worse.
The next day, the kind vet came back to take some blood. I can say that I am very familiar with needles so it didn’t really hurt. A quick pin prick and he was done. In that moment I looked at my team and they looked sad. This must be it. This must be how they find out.
“3-5 days and you will have the results and we will know what is going on”.
It was a long week, but here we are. Today, my team found out that what I am experiencing is final stages of kidney and liver failure. This is the reason that I am in pain and this is the reason that I won’t gain weight. The reason that my organs are giving up on me is due to drugs being forced into my system during my racing career. This is the reason I slowed down and became sore.
Hi, my name is Barron.
My time is limited and I am going to die. I was never able to have the chance to recover because I was beyond repair on arrival.
I did not sustain an injury from falling, or hurting myself on the race track. Sometimes it isn’t always the obvious that is killing us.
My story is unique, but I am not the only one. My friends that race today, still experience being abused with drugs daily. Prolonged use can cause organ damage, organ failure and death.
This is my story.
Heartbreaking, Carolyn.
Wow.
All these Posts are, for the most part, heartbreaking.
First of all, we have a business making BILLIONS off the bones, backs, and lives of thoroughbred racehorses.
They breed, use, abuse, and dump leaving one big mess for everybody else to clean up.
It’s a disgusting shame that people like us are left with this horrific mess, people who had NOTHING to do with the breeding nor the exploitation of the horse.
The only racehorses rescue individuals I support are the ones who want this business shut down.
There will never be enough forever, loving homes for these racehorses whom them continue to breed in order to fill races and inflate egos.
Secondly, the story of Baron reminds us that this industry continues to get away with total lack of transparency.
They are not legally obligated to disclose vet records, nor disclose whatever they are putting into that racehorse.
Trainers don’t have to keep medication records in their race stable which is a huge bone of contention because when Trainers are caught cheating they often get away with it due to the lack of record keeping.
Every single step of the way this business goes to no lengths to protect the ongoing abuse of racehorses on their tracks who are exploited for profit.
Halos And Angels – well at least some people are watching out for her according to some posts.
That’s great because I can only be a voice for the voiceless racehorses.
Please folks, don’t support this business model.
Don’t gamble on racehorses because they are gambling with their lives every single day.
The racehorses lose – we all know that.
Contact your local senators and legislatures. Tell them tax payer money should not subsidize horseracing. This industry is subsidized millions of dollars every year. The subsidies are its lifeline.
Just to add to your great comment 20+ Insider:
1. Support DECOUPLING. Without casino money racetracks would shut down tomorrow.
2. Request a review and cancellation of the Interstate Horse Racing Act.
Just came up on my virtual stable that HALOS AND ANGELS
has been scratched from her race on March 24.
She was a vet scratch last raced on Feb 6, no posted works since……very telling
Thank you, Billy.
Very telling indeed!
When you say “vet scratched” does that mean that the official vet on duty on raceday found her not fit to race?
Or did her trainer’s vet make the call?
I think there’s a way of finding out on equibase but I’ve never been able to figure it out.