Through a FOIA request to the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills on that state’s tracks in 2018. Unless otherwise noted, immediate cause of death was a fracture of one kind or another; underlying cause – Racing itself. (Please note: The Commission forwarded but one training death; surely, this is wrong.)
The Hardy Boys, March 8, Remington T
Chicks Fancy Me, March 10, Remington R
Bedlam, March 20, Will Rogers R
Tf Carters Kick, March 24, Remington R
Mister Bree, April 9, Will Rogers R
Katillac Charm, April 14, Will Rogers R
Ride This Train, April 20, Remington R – “pulmonary hemorrhage” (two years old)
Jazz One Lady, May 12, Remington R
Inseperable Ruby, May 20, Remington R
Last Pain Gl, May 27, Remington R
Right On the Nose, May 28, Remington R – “fell, hindquarters wouldn’t move”
Special Candy High, June 2, Remington R
See Omega, June 8, Fair Meadows R
Fddapache, June 23, Fair Meadows R
Kelly Kip, July 5, Fair Meadows R
Kaylees Krazy Fury, July 7, Fair Meadows R
Royal Disturbance, July 19, Fair Meadows R
Alpha Nine, July 21, Fair Meadows R
Euro Green, August 29, Remington R
Df Painted Pilot, September 9, Will Rogers R
Johnny Jean, September 22, Will Rogers R
Ta Ta Nomoro, September 28, Remington R
Claret Jug, October 4, Remington R – “collapsed at the finish line, died two minutes later” (three years old)
Landbank, October 4, Remington R
Distance Deal, October 6, Will Rogers R
Hooligan, October 12, Will Rogers R
Tactical Miss, October 13, Remington R
Jl Separate Treasure, October 21, Will Rogers R
Fistfulloffite, October 25, Remington R (euthanized October 31)
Okie Debutante, October 26, Remington R
Jesfixinto, October 27, Will Rogers R – “lacerated tendon”
Makin the Dough, November 8, Remington R
Outamoway Girls, November 10, Remington R
Oltigbitties, November 10, Will Rogers R
Paramont, November 19, Remington R
Oklahoma Z, November 30, Remington R
Chirpy Bird, December 14, Remington R
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.
Bs Cartel, April 24, Remington
“found dead in stall – stomach rupture” (two years old)
Js Chickenchit, April 28, Remington
“found dead in shedrow – colitis and infection” (two years old, last raced April 13)
Hashtag Fast, October 28, Will Rogers
“found dead in stall – presumed choke”
Didactic, November 30, Remington
“colitis” (last raced November 19)
Another devastating list of broken and dead racehorses.
This is so horrific, the details are absolutely heartbreaking, and this business needs to shut down now.
These apologists, these profit mongering parasitic human leeches are immoral, lack compassion, and are monsters to do this daily to these racehorses.
They watch them suffer daily, and they watch them die.
VILE pathetic human beings.
I counted FORTY-ONE (41) deaths!
Utterly sickening.
Racehorses are constantly breaking down and dying GLOBALLY and the racing industry does NOTHING about it.
Just the other day I came across a baby in training for his first race start when he broke down badly, took a while for a vet to get there (vets only on duty on raceday) and was ultimately euthanased.
“That’s just racing” they say. The callous worn out old response one gets. So, it appears, well it is a fact, that the industry is quite comfortable to carry on despite the stomach turning fact that many, many horses are suffering catastrophic injuries and dying. Unconscionable.
EVIL DOERS!
I have a mare saved out of Oklahoma kill pen . she is now 7 I believe . Palmeto square . racing name I was strongly advised I was not to pursue her lines or breeding information or it would negatively affect the other OTTB being saved. I have often wondered and wanted more information on her she has struggled with wecan only assume was a injury then thrown in a shaulghter pen. Any advice on how I could now follow up with my original intentions thank you for anyhelp you could give me . kate
Kate, if your mare is Palmetto Square (a 2010 dark bay), she was bred and previously raced by Eugene Melnyk. He got rid of her after her 5th race for him – a private acquisition.
The billionaire had this to say in a recent interview regarding his decision to get back into the horse racing business; “I used to breed to race and hopefully a stallion would come out of that…used to be if you hit a good stallion you could get $15 million, which pays for a lot of sins. But you can’t get that anymore. If you’re lucky and have a champion you’ll get $5 million and that doesn’t pay for all the sins.”
Maybe Melnyk can atone for the sin of throwing away, like yesterday’s trash, the mare he bred and raced.
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/sports-pmn/veteran-horseman-eugene-melnyk-says-he-misses-owning-thoroughbred-racers
Let me tell you another story about Eugene Melynk.
In 1998, at the “prestigious” Keeneland yearling sale, Melynk was in town to spend some money.
He bought a beautiful grey-dappled, 16 HH yearling, for $250,000, who was later named ASHBURY (Ash as I affectionately called him).
Ash was purchased with one goal in mind: Kentucky Derby, and than stallion duty.
However, Ashbury proved to be somewhat of an embarrassment to Melynk in that he didn’t perform.
Simply put, the gorgeous Ashbury was just that, gorgeous, but not a racehorse.
He ended up at the Ft. Erie racetrack with my friend at the time trainer Wendy Wolff.
Her owner, Carol Stackwood, claimed Ashbury on May 27, 2001.
He was one of the many Melynk “disposables.”
I visited him at the barn after the race – not only was he gorgeous, but such an awesome personality.
After his final race, his lameness issues rendered him as a companion horse – nobody wanted him.
They allegedly contacted both Josie Carroll and Eugene Melynk who owns million dollar farms in Aurora, Ontario and Ocala, Florida and they wanted no part of him – like most apologists they were onto their next victims.
So Wendy Wolff, ends up with him, evidently, in exchange for outstanding trainer bills,
She decides to breed him.
Wendy, in all her good “intentions” had an ill-equipped farm for horses so Ash rarely went out due to the inadequate fencing ( one string of barb wire) in most paddocks, and mud fever.
Here was this 17HH gorgeous stallion in a 10 x 10 boarded up stall with NO windows, most of the time with the other times locked in a small arena to breed.
With time, probably due to his living conditions, he became miserable and refused to breed.
So Wendy started injecting him (I saw it with my own eyes) – “valium, steroids, and vitamins” she used to say.
Neither Eugene Melynk or Josie Carroll ever called or visited him (that I’m aware of) to check up on his well being even after one of her grooms told her that Ash was suffering, and needed a better life.
Ash was going to “pay off the farm mortgage,” “pay for new fencing,” Wendy would quip, but massive vet, feed, hay bills (she bred about 30 mares of her own), put her in deep financial trouble according to our conversations.
One night I stopped by to visit and console Wendy, she had some wine, and started talking.
I can recall the conversation distinctly because she mentioned that she had a huge stallion equine insurance policy on Ash that would soon decrease now that the first foals were not performing.
I didn’t really think about it until a couple of days later when I went by – ASHBURY was dead.
He was buried right on the farm beside the barn and the dirt was still fresh.
I was devastated, I asked “what happened?”
According to Wendy, “it came on really fast, he started to run a fever, sweat profusely, and then the bleeding started from almost every orifice in his body.”
She led him just outside the barn where he convulsed profusely and dropped dead.
She suspected that it was the result of prior EPO administration.
She got the money (she wouldn’t tell me how much) and within a year or so, she sold the farm, got rid of the horses (she couldn’t give away the “cheap” broodmares), invested in real estate, and now lives the good life.
She lives in Niagara Falls according to LINKEIN, and refuses to talk to me.
Ashbury was a victim of Eugene Melynk, the apologists, and this vile business.