Through a FOIA request to the Colorado Department of Revenue, I have confirmed the following kills at Arapahoe Park in 2018. Please note, however, that no training deaths were forwarded, which can only mean one thing: trainers/owners are not required to disclose those. So, this list should be seen as (significantly) incomplete.
Selway, June 1, Arapahoe R
“sudden death”
Dauns First Desirio, June 10, Arapahoe R (died at hospital next day)
“heatstroke – renal failure”
Dominance Period, July 1, Arapahoe R
“fracture MCIII”
Preachers Money, July 7, Arapahoe R
“fracture MCIII”
Gins and Giggles, July 7, Arapahoe R
“condylar fracture”
Black Gargola, July 27, Arapahoe R
“fracture”
Mobiledixie, August 11, Arapahoe R
“fracture sesamoid”
In addition, these still-very-much-active racehorses died on track grounds from what the industry craftily calls “non-racing” causes. Technically true, perhaps, but morally they are no less casualties of this vile business than the ones above.
Cougar Cowboy, June 29, Arapahoe
“colic, nephrosplenic entrapment – euthanized”
Titfortat, July 4, Arapahoe
“pleuritis, sick for two-plus weeks – euthanized” (last raced in June)
HORSE RACING, GREYHOUND RACING AND IDITAROD SHOULD BE BANNED EVERYWHERE, THIS IS NOT A SPORT, IT’S ANIMAL CRUELTY!
I think anytime a racehorse dies, whether in training, a race, or in the stall, a necropsy should be performed. This would reveal, once and for all, the huge number of horses on all sorts of drugs, legal and otherwise. It would also show the side effects of those drugs-things like ulcers. The public might ask how an animal who is seemingly coddled with the best of food and care, gets ulcers. Easy. Practically force feed it pain killers, many of which are known to cause at the very least, irritation to the stomach lining.
Karen, I believe you’ll find this eye-opening AND appalling (link below).
https://horseracingwrongs.com/2017/03/01/a-list-that-should-be-posted-at-every-betting-window/
I also think that every single doping/vet record for the past 90 days MINIMUM for every racehorse entered to race should be made available to the public.
This can be so easily accomplished with the most basic inexpensive technology called a microchip.
A vet (who makes over $200,000 per year about) can buy a scanner (tax deductible) and scan their doping code onto the microchip right after treatment.
This would be downloaded to the racing commission computer, and be made available to the public because they should be considered public records, NOT private records since the business depends on public wagering.
The microchip, for matters of public safety, would also contain the vaccination and transportation records of all racehorses actively training and/or racing and 90 days after their last race.
Our politicians/government insist on financially supporting this dying business via millions in taxpayers money and/or casino profits, which would otherwise be diverted into community essential services, but fail to demand these changes.
You want the money – then do these changes or you don’t get the money.
It’s simple as that.
I’m all for this business shutting down, but I would like to see some immediate changes implemented while they are kept propped up.
Under the current operating procedures, nobody knows what the hell they are putting into these racehorses, and you would think that our government would want to know what’s in them when they end up at slaughter.
This business doesn’t want transparency, they have operated with virtual impunity for years, and they don’t like the idea of having to be held accountable for their shameful and corrupt business practices.