In the 6th yesterday at Belmont Park (incidentally, isn’t it obscene that these equine killing facilities are so idyllically branded – “Park,” “Downs”?), Top Fortitude “took a bad step…fell heavily…then unfortunately had to be euthanized” (Equibase). The 6-year-old, as it turns out, was euthanized where he lay. This makes seven confirmed kills – surely there were more – over the American weekend. Ugly indeed.
Top Fortitude was trained by Robertino Diodoro…but since he is serving a 15-DAY suspension for the drugging of THREE horses (do the math), his assistant Rob Atras was listed as trainer for the now-dead Top Fortitude.
“Trainer Robertino Diodoro began serving a 15-day suspension on Sunday for three medication positives his stable incurred at Turf Paradise over the winter.
According to the Daily Racing Form, Diodoro had three horses test positive for the tranquilizer hydroxyethylpromazine sulfoxide, which is a Class 3 drug.”
http://www.drf.com/news/robertino-diodoro-begins-serving-suspension-medication-positives
Racing insiders do whatever they want. A 5-day suspension for illegally drugging your horse? – and what kind of a suspension is it when your horses still run under your assistant?
I do not have the time to organize it but am ready and willing to join a demonstration (one or more) at Belmont Race Track.