Official chart notes from U.S. Thoroughbred and QuarterHorse races last week. (guide: “broke down,” “collapsed after wire” – racing-speak for dead; “vanned off” – left course via equine ambulance; many, if not most, of these horses will resurface on my year-end FOIA kill-reports; “bled,” “returned bleeding from the nostrils” – usually indicates pulmonary hemorrhage, a situation that, yes, occasionally results in death)
Expect a Storm “vanned off” at SunRay
Promises to Keep “vanned off” at Indiana
Turf Prince “pulled up, euthanized” at Charles Town
Wild Geraniums “came back bleeding from the nose” at Charles Town
Sticker Shock “bled, vanned off” at Golden Gate
Awesome On Feet “vanned off” at Gulfstream
Change of Seasons “vanned off” at Penn
Awesome Alma “injured mid-stretch – euthanized” at Pimlico
Mile Street “broke down and was put down” at Presque Isle
Iatesomuchi’mphil “vanned off” at Presque Isle
Tempting Special “vanned off” at Ruidoso
Coronas Speed “vanned off” at Ruidoso
Them And Us “went wrong, vanned off” at Belterra
Blushing Hannah “vanned off” at Louisiana
Sweet Like Candy “was pulled up in distress, vanned off” at Parx
Pr Volcom “vanned off” at Ruidoso
Favorite Dividend “vanned off” at Ruidoso
Steamin Eagle “bled, vanned off” at Ruidoso
America Rules “vanned off” at Ruidoso
Lovelily “vanned off” at Churchill
Bronzino “vanned off” at Golden Gate
Bird Orr Brady “fell, vanned off” at Lone Star
Karmakaze “collapsed after race” at Parx
Tiz Majesty “pulled up lame, vanned off” at Pimlico
Last Pain Gl “injured, vanned off” at Remington
Sixes Crystal “bled, vanned off” at Ruidoso
Seminole Senator “bled, vanned off” at Ruidoso
(source: Equibase)
So sorry for all these victims of this vile business and the vile people who enable this dying.
BOLD DADDY (BD) yet another victim of this industry and trainer Todd Pletcher.
“Royally-bred” (according to industry standards) BD generated around $400,000 at the sales auction companies.
He was started in claiming races, which strongly indicates that Pletcher and/or the connections knew that something was not right with him as this caliber of racehorse is usually protected in Maiden Special Weight.
Perhaps doping kept him going and/or masked chronic issue(s) until he gave way on May 28, 2018 in Race #7 where he was “eased, but walked-off,” according to Equibase.
BD went off as one of the favorites that day meaning lots of PUBLIC money was wagered on him at Frank Stronach owned Gulfstream Park.
Yet, neither the wagering public nor the public at large will ever know what drugs were pumped into him because they keep their medical records “secret.”
There will be NO REFUNDS to the thousands probably wagered on him while a nice tidy profit was made.
Furthermore, we have no idea what happened to BD after he “walked-off,” or what his status is.
What a scam, and it’s so sad that racehorses are merely gambling pawns for this vile business.
This story goes back, but the racehorse, VERNE’S BABY, was a warrior whom I admired, and loved.
I watched him rise to the top, and unfortunately, saw him fall from grace.
By the time he reached Willie Armata’s barn in Ft. Erie, he was so obviously sore/lame sometimes limping from what I saw.
He was sour, a former shadow of himself, but they still pressed on him like so many others.
His fall from grace was on display as he was confined in a stall with little to no bedding or hay running in bottom claimers at the Ft. Erie Racetrack.
Yet, Verne’s Baby was such a sweetheart – where was the retirement that he so deserved?
There was lots of mystery surrounding his death including a groom who claimed they were withholding water and feed from him in a fragile state, and the necropsy was not released.
He certainly wasn’t the first racehorse to drop dead there under nefarious circumstances and he certainly won’t be the last.
This occurred at the “premier” racetrack called Woodbine to a multiple graded stake racehorse!
Another admirer would not let him die in vain, and wrote an excellent article please read it:
https://horse-canada.com/thoroughblog/down/
Verne’s Baby, you beautiful dark bay gelding, my thoughts are with you today buddy.
How many more? How many more?
Please shut these hell holes down for racehorses.
Thank you for telling his story, Gina – I am heartbroken and enraged.
Verne’s Baby – your abuse is over – but how I wish you could have known compassion and kindness and love. I am so, so sorry.
Enough. Enough. ENOUGH!
Thank you for the link, Gina. How very sad for Verne’s Baby. He was killed for greed and ego. His connections are despicable but far from unique in this callous business. What makes his story even more poignant is that the offer of a home was turned down. What a shame.
So so so many horses have the same story….and most if not all are running for their lives in low level claiming races at low level tracks….no horse is immune to this life but the ones with backclass are especially vulnerable because some trainer thinks they can get one more good race out of them or can bring them back to their former selves……the old horses with “heart” as they call it because they show up everytime and will run because it is what they know will just go trainer to trainer dropping more and more in class until either the horse dies at the track or just disappears…..these horses the old geldings and such that have raced for years have a high number of starts and have earned their connections alot of money the hard way should be the industrys heros not the industries used up disposable garbage….at what point do these people and this industry be held accountable by their actions how long does our country allow this