A pair of kills yesterday…
4-year-old Alpha Dance “collapsed and expired,” says the Gaming Commission, after a “pulled up, DNF” in the 4th at Finger Lakes. “Collapsed and expired” – at four. While the Commission’s standard “investigation to follow” is almost always devoid of substance, it is most certainly so in the cases of cheap claimers ($5,000 here) dying at tracks not named Saratoga or Belmont.
On the other coast, 3-year-old Secret Shopper “broke down” and was euthanized (Daily Racing Form) in the 4th at Del Mar. After a relatively quiet summer, at least what we’re receiving publicly, Del Mar has now notched two kills in the past two days, bringing its meet total to (at least) six. Cool as ever.
San Diego Union-Tribune admits only to four. Seems there is collusion with the track to hide the real numbers.
I guess we can call the Union-Tribune reporting “fake news.”
Alpha Dance, a chestnut filly (Jean Ortiz, she was out of an Affirmed mare), received Lasix (as most if not all but a handful of American-raced horses do) for all of her starts. Regarding her last race, the chart downplays her reality in the last moments of her life; “[Alpha Dance] was eased over the wire and walked off.” But as Patrick exposed for us, she collapsed and died.
Lasix – its administration to racehorses is so minimized by fans, players and insiders. But let’s see what Brian S. Burks, D.V.M., has to say about Lasix and its effects (the following, from his numerous necropsy reports of PA racehorses); “Electrolyte disturbances related to treatment with Lasix may have caused a fatal cardiac arrhythmia…[and] colon changes [from gastric ulcers and associated intestinal inflammation] may have contributed to any electrolyte disturbance.”
Gastric ulcers (present in the great majority of – if not all – racehorses) + Lasix administration = fatal cardiac arrhythmias due to electrolyte disturbances.
Collapsing. Dying. It happens to four-year-old “trail horses” in their pastures? No, it does not.
Quite frankly Joy, I don’t for a moment believe, that in all cases, it’s actually Lasix being administered.
I was privy to information that suggested otherwise.
They could be putting just about anything into that needle, and the fact that they test doesn’t guarantee a damn thing because this entire industry and it’s self-managed drug testing process is flawed at best.
In many cases, it seems corrupt, and well controlled that has the potential to affect the outcome of races, and the repercussions to racehorses.
The upper level racehorses with equine insurance policy in place that drop dead in the dirt from “cardiovascular collapse,” is terribly suspicious, and nobody can confirm anything because all the data is controlled by the very people who exploit them.
Disgusting, revolting, and vile – this is horse racing.
I don’t doubt there are other drugs being administered as well, Gina. That being said, the industry’s allowed (and even expected!) drugs are killers themselves.
Joy, thank you for your post re. Lasix. I have a lot of trouble with how this business abuses this drug and, of course, how it results in horse abuse. The track vets are complicit in this which is outrageous.
As many know, it is a potent diuretic used primarily to treat congestive heart failure. Horses are the only species that receive Lasix without needing it to treat disease. This is wrong. The drug has many side effects and can result in sudden death because of cardiac arrhythmias.
It also depletes calcium which is so bad for the horse and especially in the 2,3 and 4 yr olds.
Also, it greatly dehydrates the horse as well as causing electrolyte imbalance.
Further, it can take the horse several days to rehydrate because the fluid loss from the drug does not prompt the horse to drink like a normal dehydration would. And imagine dosing horses running in So. Fl. in such heat and humidity. The horse is already stressed and sweating from the heat.
PS I have a mare here that got the so called “thumps” every time she raced. She would receive IV electrolyte replacement after running. However, they kept giving her Lasix before every race regardless of the obvious danger to the horse. This illustrates the mindset of these people and more importantly, the disregard for the welfare of the horse. They just can’t do without the “competitive edge” they think Lasix gives.
Yes, Rose….thank YOU for your additional information and insight.
My God.I can’t imagine what these amazing animals are subjected to daily.It is criminal at the least.
Horses need to be tested before each race. (Drugs,exhaustion).The owners are wealthy.Its their win too.
Animals almost need to have their behavior monitered(the jockeys,trainers)for daily abuse.
We do it in my field,when we see abuse,makes sense more with innocent creatures.
Nancy, this industry is SELF-REGULATED so the very people who are using, abusing, exploiting the racehorses are the very people who control the drug testing process, and even select what lab tests!
When top trainers are caught with drugs the cases, almost always, are subsequently dropped because of samples that go MISSING or a multitude of other reasons that are highly suspicious in the lease.
Most Racetrack management personnel has control over those samples for DAYS before they are ever sent to a lab.
The drug testing process, controlled by the industry, is like a piece of Swiss cheese – full of holes that are just waiting to be exploited just like the horses.
Furthermore, the medical records of racehorses are kept secret so that nobody ever knows exactly what is found in those racehorses especially since most racing jurisdictions don’t require a necropsy after a racehorse dies.
So whatever you imagine is minimal compared to what’s going on, and thanks to this blog we are finally finding out what’s happening although Del Mar, and Frank Stronach owned tracks are pulling out all the stops to hide the truth about the dying, and they even deliberate eliminate the videos or angles of racehorses dying.
Isn’t the world of horse racing so lovely with those fancy hats and all??