Through a FOIA request to the Nebraska Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following deaths there in 2018. Please note, however, that Nebraska is notoriously slow in responding to my request (typically takes multiple tries) and largely evasive on followup questions. In other words, this is almost certainly not the whole story…
Rum Therapy, February 25, Fonner T
“compound fracture P1”
Cimmaron Chief, February 25, Fonner R
“exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage” (74th race)
Cash Broker, March 16, Fonner T
“compound fracture shoulder”
Shesashadylady, March 18, Fonner R
“compound fracture cannon”
Lucky Kentucky, April 6, Fonner R
“cannon fracture”
My Gal Sarah, April 28, Fonner T
“head trauma fractures”
Bring the Action, June 9, Horsemen’s R
“post-race”
Cimmaron Chief…in his 74th race, he dies of EIPH. That poor gelding – I’ve seen racehorses breakdown but I have never seen one die of pulmonary hemorrhage. I looked him up, wondering what the chart had to say about that race in which he died. As it turns out, the chestnut (he would have turned 9 in May) won that race. He “held gamely under strong pressure” [he was whipped] and crossed the finish line first. His “people” took the $4,800 his body labored for…and he drowned in his own blood.
(Cimmaron Chief received Laix and bute for that race, as did all of the other 7 horses. And there are horse “advocates” who support this blatant abuse! – it makes me sick.)
All while running his highest equibase speed figure, and moving up in class after having a longer span between races …..his previous race he was 6th of 8 10 1/4 lengths back the chart states…CIMMARON CHIEF stalked the pace while inside on the backstretch and turn, moved out to be two wide in upper stretch but lacked a late
response in the end……to winning and dying, like patrick stated they are taking us for fools
Is that a first for EIPH death ??
I have never heard of a horse dying from EIPH. He must have been a known so called “bleeder” or maybe had some drugs that interfered with clotting or he ruptured a major vessel. Of course, we will never know what caused such a major hemorrhage because nobody in the business cares how or why these horses die.
PS if he had been a bleeder with 74 starts, then he would have had pulmonary scarring and therefore major performance difficulty.
I just don’t buy this BS.
CIMMARON CHIEF was on the “Death Watch” list.
This poor horse was so abused, and was treated inhumanely for the sole purpose of these human parasitic leech bastards.
We can only imagine the hundreds of needle injections into his veins, muscles, and joints.
I can only imagine the amount of times he felt the sting of the whip while being beaten to perform.
Owner after owner, trainer after trainer, track after track – this has GOT TO stop,
We can only speculate because, after all, they keep their doping records secret.
What a better more efficient way to hide the abuse?
His body was probably riddled with chronic issues that were masked with dope – he was probably a walking chemical factory that finally gave way.
What violence, brutality, and a horror show this vile business is.
In defense of the voiceless, now dead, CIMMARON CHIEF – you had a big heart, and such stamina because I can’t imagine what you went through and how you lasted so long.
It attests to your incredible spirit that will, hopefully, wreak havoc on those who abused you.
Gina, yes, you mentioned a “Death Watch” list – I’m certain you’re aware of Not Cloudy All Day on Twitter, as well. For those not familiar with it, it is a PRO-racing individual/group that “watch” racehorses they feel are “at risk” and then they follow them, posting their continued training and racing. Most of the racehorses they watch have many starts or are finishing poorly, are falling to the bottom of the claiming ranks, and are in obvious need of help. It is quite telling – while they exclaim “he needs out” regarding a gelding, for example, who they feel is “too old” to race (we know age doesn’t determine exploitation – and a 10-year-old horse is a horse in his PRIME! – yet they acknowledge a 10-year-old RACEhorse is a ticking time-bomb), they still support racing. It’s such an oxymoron.
I’ve had one on one confrontations with the owner of @notcloudyallday in the past re: their continued support of horse racing.
Of course I was respectful and polite initially, but when he verbally attacked me for being associated with HRW blog claiming that we are all left wing nuts who want to shut horse racing down, that’s when I stood firm.
I then realized that it wasn’t worth my breath because if you can stare racehorse abuse, cruelty, and dying in the face, while collecting the painful facts, and not speak out against it, or call for it to shut down, then you are just as bad as the abusers, apologists, and delusional supporters.
“Abuse can only continue when people remain silent.” paraphrase Martin Luther King.
They have blocked me from their Twitter account, FB account.
That said, their resources are excellent, and I do review them to isolate high risk racehorses for me to follow.
CIMMARON CHIEF was one that I pulled to follow.
They are not unlike the other oxymorons – the ones on FB who have 20+ racehorses that they have rescued are crying for financial assistance, feed, hay or whatever else assistance somebody can give them.
Then when I suggest they ask the breeder, previous owners/trainers that seems like a puzzle to them.
Yet, they expect people, who had nothing to do with the exploitation, to help them out.
Sure I applaud their efforts, but I only support those OTTB rescue people who call for the shut down of this business.
I don’t see it any other way.
Gina, ABSOLUTELY…regarding every point you made.
You know how we always hear that there are just a “few bad apples” in the industry? – that the majority are good folks who “love” their horses? Well then PLEASE, all you good folks! – get those few bad apples OUT!
So often I’m chastised by apologists, telling me I need to “work with the tracks” to get the bad owners/trainers out that I’ve identified and written about – well, that’s been done, as well – for 20 long years – and NOTHING.
Nothing has changed. Now racehorses in the hands of kill buyers, racing plates still on from their last race only a few days prior, are shown on social media and no one even bats an eye. It’s business as usual – it’s either the (“good”) trainer was duped or it was one of those “few bad apples” that sent the horse on his way to the slaughterhouse. Please.
Joy, right on.
I grew up in this business since the 60’s, and not much has changed.
I went through 3 stages: One, total support and participant in this industry. Two, worked hard to change things for the better (chuckle chuckle) while I was still in this industry. Three: a total rejection of this vile business realizing that only a vile, immoral person could take a horse and do what they do to it.
The whole industry and the apologists are one big bad apple.
Can people change for the better and realize that what they’ve been supporting is not right?
Absolutely – I did,
To any apologist out there, you can get out of this business, denounce it for what it is, share your experiences, your thoughts while educating people on the truth behind the fancy hats.
The horse racing business continues to provide the public with all the fancy wallpaper they want, but underneath that is a rotten business to the core that requires the ongoing abuse, cruelty, inhumane treatment, and dumping of racehorses in order to fill their wagering coffers.
There is nothing that can change this fact, and that’s why it needs to shut down.