“The ground-penetrating radar verified all of the materials, silt, clay and sand, as well as moisture content, are consistent everywhere on this track. This testing ensures all components, the 5-inch cushion, pad and base are consistent and in good order.” – track expert Mick Peterson (NBCMiami)
After Mr. Peterson declared the Santa Anita track “100 percent ready [for racing to resume]” last Wednesday, Eskenforadrink was felled Saturday – and today, another: Multiple sources have confirmed that Lets Light the Way, three, broke down this morning while training and was euthanized. She is the 23rd dead racehorse (21 on-track, 2 off) at Santa Anita since December 26. Now back to that “ground-penetrating radar” – smoke and mirrors, folks. They can’t stop the killing – and they know it.
OMG why is this shit hole of a track still operational????? Look at the numbers of deaths since December of 2018 and you all consider yourselves just so god damn wonderful. The owners, trainers, jockeys – etc you are all nothing but animal abusers and killers. You even go so far as to condone the use of “doping” on the horses and feel that is justified as well. What a sad sad state of affairs that this shit is even allowed to take place. This track should have been shut down years ago, but it definitely needs to go NOW. As with the track you get rid of all of these people attached to it that are nothing but horse murderers. You are all f*cking losers and the horse world would be so much better off with none of you in it. Shut down this shit hole before the starting gates open on the next day, because we all know what the story will be on the next publication. We all know that this is all about the bucks and the buck needs to stop now – you losers need to just pack it up and go home.
VILE.
As I mentioned before neither doping nor SWT is rarely addressed by The Stronach Group or their principle members such as Frank or Belinda Stronach or Tim Ritvo.
When I supported this business, and when I was in a capacity to change things boy did I try, and try hard.
When I was exposed to the doping and the regular SWT treatments, I immediately requested a meeting with Magna Entertainment Group, and instead of them being concerned about the serious implications of these common procedures they banned me from their grounds!
I’ve never set foot on the Santa Anita property or any Stronach Group property since around 2005 nor did I want to because it was clear to me that they weren’t interested in safety measures for horses despite what they proclaim.
They were probably hoping that the rash of deaths would end after the track report and it would have been just business as usual, but the racehorses are crying out for us to speak on behalf of them.
These poor racehorses are mere profit slaves for this callous millionaire and the people who support this travesty of justice, ongoing inhumane treatment of racehorses, cruelty, dumping, whipping and dying.
They do little to nothing to reduce or curtail any of these vile practices because it’s a vile business that is supported by blood sucking parasites.
We also stopped going to our local Stronach track on the last day of June ,2005 after seeing all the abuse of SWT as well as constant multiple joint injections to the horses we galloped. We felt so sorry for all those poor horses that came from all over the country. Some even still had their Keeneland auction sale hip #`s on therm after being shipped the few thousand miles to our local track when they had been purchased for $1,200 to $3,000! The shipping cost alone would have been more than what the owner / trainer paid for the horse at auction. Insanity to spend that much $ just to train at one of the crummiest tracks in the country! We will be celebrating when due to the economic value of the land for other uses that track closes. We and another friend or two will be there with our fancy hats, whistles, horns to celebrate the arrival of the wrecking balls / dismantling crews of our local horse hurting / killing track.We like you Gina have MANY experiences, mostly bad ones at our local track. We have been told by many people we should write a book about our experiences but it would take a couple of lifetimes to do that!
So many thoughts continue to run through my brain, and I’ve probably shared them at one time or another. We, as part of the Animal Kingdom, show time and time again that we are disgrace, not only other humans, but especially the rest of the ‘Kingdom’. I don’t know what the answer is, but we have to do more. We have to contact those in power on a continual basis, and we cannot stop.
God bless those sweet animals! I pray that there will be an end to this industry very FAST!
Track guru Petersen has gone out to many other tracks to utilize his high tech equipment (especially Del Mar) and every single time he gives the okay and racehorses continue to die.
Obviously, it’s not the track surface – DUH.
I read many of these reports as a steward in California, and the only report that seemed different than all the other reports was a Seismology Report conducted by a PhD Geology student buried in a file cabinet.
It was extensive, detailed, and it concluded that the land in California is constantly shifting due to Tectonic plates and that tracks are particularly vulnerable.
It concluded that the ground underneath the track, probably well below the testing that Petersen conducts, is constantly shifting and causing “footing” problems underneath the horse exacerbated by the high speeds and pressure on the hooves.
They used the analogy of somebody running on a sidewalk and then the cracks suddenly shift causing an uneven area and then it shifts back.
Now, if this is correct than there isn’t anything they can do to stop these deaths other than move tracks to another state.
However, reputable peer-reviewed equine studies, prove that masking chronic issues with dope is the main culprit and then further masking their nerve sensations with SWT is a recipe for disaster.
One thing is for sure: dying is inherent in horse racing and it needs to shut down.
By the way, the PhD geology student wasn’t get paid to do the study as it was part of his PhD research.
Hence, neutral assessment of the situation.
Then there’s the issue of synthetic tracks.
Studies show that racehorses still die, but not at such a high rate.
Bob Baffert was one of the most vocal supporters of DIRT tracks and demanded that the synthetic surface at Santa Anita gets replaced with dirt tracks because it’s no secret that BB loves speed and if his racehorses happen to die? Oh well.
BB loves to gamble and so does his gambling owner Mike Pegram and it’s known that the synthetic surface can ruin bets, but a dirt surface is more to their gambling liking.
https://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/nahill-to-baffert-don-t-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-way-out/
There’s been a huge increase in maiming and deaths at Santa Anita since they replaced the surface with dirt, and who knows what happened when they dug up the old dirt, replaces it with synthetic, and then replaced it back to dirt again?
Anyways, this is just a smoking gun because it’s the dope, SWT and the operating procedures that are directly responsible for the deaths and that’s why shutting it down is the only way to stop it.
Back in 2005, when I strongly supported this business, as an Associate Steward I was ringing the alarm bells to Stronach management and not only did they ignore me but they banned me from their properties and Rick Arthur backed them up!
Just like now they were focusing on the “track surface” and not on the real issues plaguing horse racing which is the liberal, rampant use of dope, and the strong support for the dopers, cheaters, and killers.
I knew right then and there nothing would change as long as Rick Arthur is in charge of the CHRB and as long as The Stronach Group is running race tracks.
It was a disaster waiting to happen, and I’m surprised it took so long.
I’ve repeatedly stated on comments here that it’s going to get much worse and it has, and probably will continue.
Even this morning – Tim Ritvo in his released official statement is STILL FOCUSING ON TRACK SURFACE!
Are you fu**ing kidding me?
Not once does he mention the excessive and rampant doping, and SWT – not once!!
I compare Frank Stronach to the captain of the Titanic – both had dire warnings and both ignored them which led to many lives being lost.
It’s so disturbing, so sad, and so incredibly heartbreaking.
I love the thoroughbred breed so much, and I can’t stand to see this.
Just as it seemed obvious to me back then, it still does now that the only way to stop this is to END horse racing.
Thank you, Gina – you know we share your disgust, frustration, despair and heartbreak – and nothing will stop us from continuing to expose the blatant abuse!
KARMA IS A BITCH, THESE COWARDS ARE GREEDY.
The roosters have come home to roost.
The horse racing industry is solely responsible for all the death and dying.
Neither animal rights activists/advocates or horse lovers are to blame as they always shift the blame onto these groups.
Very typical of an industry who is reactive not proactive even in the face of the causes.
I feel for the horses because they are crying out through their broken bones and broken spirits.
They need our voice now more than ever.
Gina really said it all. I started on the track when Affirmed was still running. Never a vet in the barn. I have seen the art of Horsemanship slowly go to vets and cheap labor. I have been watching the fall of horse racing since the 80s. Heartbroken
Well to Patrick, Nicole, and all other HRW supporters who have contributed in some capacity to this blog – we are FINALLY getting somewhere.
It’s a travesty that it took a rash of 23 racehorses dying, and we know that the dying has been going on since its inception.
However, I want to provide this video clip to everybody from mainstream Sports Illustrated.
I watch this clip just to give me some sense of justice for the racehorses. Please watch:
https://www.si.com/horse-racing/2019/03/05/santa-anita-horse-deaths-racetrack-california
When you have mainstream sports reporters saying what we’ve been saying here all along then that’s progress.
Also, a huge shout out to all the peaceful demonstrators in front of Santa Anita.
A huge shout out to Ellen who has been a staunch demonstrator, at personal risk to herself, in front of Del Mar year in and year out.
I, for one, have taken huge personal risk to disclose many things on this site – things that I’ve kept quiet about for many years, and I’ve paid a heavy price.
However, my “heavy personal price” is nowhere near the price that these poor racehorses pay day in and day out for these racehorse abusers, enablers of the abuse, and to the greedy blood sucking wagering firms.
I’ve waited a long time, too long, to say this because I’ve been very scared, but here it goes:
FRANK STRONACH you are a legal gangster, a hoodlum, a total fu**ing asshole, racehorse abuser, a idiot who hides behind your millions (some of which are stolen from hard working class stable area workers), and I”ve watched you RUIN Ontario Horse racing in conjunction with your buddies, the HBPA, and their control freak queen Sue Leslie.
You put hundreds of small stables, and small trainers out of business while you President of the Ontario Jockey Club and then you proceeded to ruin American horse racing, and you continue to ruin it by denying racehorses even the most basic dignity.
You spent over 90 days paying people (I know many of them from farriers, to trainers, to general horse people) who were starving while you were busy spending millions buying your unnecessary luxuries.
You are a horrible human being and there’s no amount of money that can cover this up.
May you sink with the ship that you are a captain of and may the racehorses get their justice.
[…] racetrack during all of 2017, so the recent rate is certainly concerning.” Animal-activist group Horse Racing Wrongs—which recently organized protests at the Santa Anita Track—is celebrating the indefinite […]
[…] racetrack during all of 2017, so the recent rate is certainly concerning.” Animal-activist group Horse Racing Wrongs—which recently organized protests at the Santa Anita Track—is celebrating the indefinite […]
[…] racetrack during all of 2017, so the recent rate is certainly concerning.” Animal-activist group Horse Racing Wrongs—which recently organized protests at the Santa Anita Track—is celebrating the indefinite […]
After watching the Kentucky Derby yesterday, I think we now know why so many horses are dying at Santa Anita. The jockeys are cheating in order to win and risking lives in the process. We’ve become a nation of cheaters for the almighty dollar. No news revelation, just sad to see another American institution become corrupt. #insanity #greed #endofdecency