Santa Anita is back – killing. In the 4th race today, Arms Runner “took a bad step,” says Equibase, fell, and was subsequently euthanized. The 5-year-old becomes the 23rd on-track kill at Santa Anita since December 30, and the 27th dead horse there overall. For $2 bets, entertainment. California, lead the nation – end this madness. Now.
The Santa Anita 27:
Psychedelicat, born Apr 17, 2014; killed racing at Santa Anita Dec 30, 2018
Tank Team, born Apr 5, 2016; killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 4, 2019
Unusual Angel, born Apr 19, 2016; killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 4, 2019
Secret Street, born Mar 21, 2016; killed training at Santa Anita Jan 8, 2019
Derby Treasure, born April 18, 2015; killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 11, 2019
Noise Mandate, born Mar 24, 2016; killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 18, 2019
Amboseli, born Feb 5, 2012; killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 20, 2019
Like Really Smart, born Mar 27, 2016; killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 21, 2019
Last Promise Kept, born May 9, 2014; killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 21, 2019
Dancing Harbor, born Feb 12, 2015; killed training at Santa Anita Jan 23, 2019
Spitfire, born Apr 17, 2012; killed training at Santa Anita Jan 25, 2019
Kid Cantina, born Feb 2, 2016; killed racing at Santa Anita Feb 2, 2019
Comegowithme, born Feb 22, 2016; killed racing at Santa Anita Feb 3, 2019
Jager Time, born Apr 20, 2015; killed training at Santa Anita Feb 17, 2019
Unusual Rider, born Apr 29, 2016; killed training at Santa Anita Feb 18, 2019
Hot American, born May 4, 2015; killed racing at Santa Anita Feb 22, 2019
Battle of Midway, born Jan 30, 2014; killed training at Santa Anita Feb 23, 2019
Just Forget It, born Jan 8, 2015; killed training at Santa Anita Feb 23, 2019
Charmer John, born Mar 31, 2016; killed training at Santa Anita Feb 24, 2019
Eskenforadrink, born Mar 8, 2015; killed racing at Santa Anita Mar 2, 2019
Lets Light the Way, born Mar 16, 2015; killed training at Santa Anita Mar 5, 2019
Princess Lili B, born Mar 11, 2016; killed training at Santa Anita Mar 14, 2019
Arms Runner, born Mar 27, 2014; killed racing at Santa Anita Mar 31, 2019
unidentified, Jan 14-Jan 20, died off-track at Santa Anita
unidentified, Jan 21-Jan 27, died off-track at Santa Anita
unidentified, Feb 25-Mar 3, died off-track at Santa Anita
unidentified, Feb 25-Mar 3, died off-track at Santa Anita
These poor horses sacrificed on the “altar” of Santa Anita along with dozens of others and hundreds more across this country at racetracks everywhere for WHAT??? So gamblers and those that feed their addiction can profit off their broken legs and bodies??? This is egregious abuse and exploitation needs to die just as these magnificent beings have been doing for over 100 years!
very good points. Who can stop this carnage?
What the hell is the matter with the track itself.. is it not being worked up right. Something is wrong with the track owners taking care of it the way it should be done. Other tracks dont have this much of a problem
Darla Snyder, once you read the first 3 paragraphs of this piece (link provided below), you’ll see the proof of the “problems” other tracks have…
https://horseracingwrongs.com/2019/03/21/to-all-vets-who-support-and-promote-horseracing-answer-this/
The track is back open and today another death – what in the hell is the matter with all of you god damn people in California – are you all that stupid. One day open and another horse dead – do these deaths mean nothing to you ignorant bastards – do you think it is great just to watch how many poor horses and can be killed every day that this shit hole track opens and runs. You people involved here are all killers there is just no other way to describe you and your treatment of these poor horses. Always some bullshit excuse about what happened – you are just a pathetic bunch of assholes that should all be banned from ever owing horses – EVER. This track needs to be closed forever and never reopened. You have no right to be killing these poor horses with your own lack of experience. Such a horrible disgrace.
Please I beg you STOP 🛑 enough is enough leave these amazing animals alone . Put your money where it can do good not on an entertainment that can kill. These beautiful animals have no voice, please stop this madness.
ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like to see clarification on each of these horses deaths. I would like to see owners, vets, pre workout/race evaluations by vets and track officials. The information should be easily accessible to everyone. Let the real facts be seen. Blood test full work up before and after. So much needs to be done to get transparency.
Here’s all you need to know: Horseracing kills horses, inherently. It has to go.
I can’t add anything to what Jo Anne and Cathy have said. I concur with all they said. It’s disgusting what is being done to these horses. Shame, shame, shame, shame….
agree totally. Do the people watching this carnage care???? Doubt it or it would stop
Barbara, no, they don’t care. You should read some of the apologists’ tweets about Arms Runner – no, I take that back…don’t read them.
To sum them up? – “it’s [a horse dying] just part of the game”.
There is something morally and ethically wrong here. There is no “fix” here.
Heartbreaking..this has to end.
LaSardane went down too. Any word on how he is doing? I saw the whole thing. The grey horse got up.
The grey was Arms Runner – he suffered a “severe” injury to his right front, was vanned off and euthanized.
La Sardane, the 2014 mare that fell over Arms Runner, is still being reported as alive.
Barry Irwin – who owns the mare- said she has a “bruised” shoulder. He has verbalized that she may never race again because of this injury. Sad that there’s a possibility she may have to race again, if she heals up enough. After falling so traumatically – If they loved her like a family member- she should never have to step foot on a track again.
Yea I bet she’s “bruised”! A body weighing 1,000-plus pounds, slamming into the ground at a run? – that is horrific blunt force trauma! She’s going to hurt….
The doomed horse with a “severe” injury was subjected to further pain so he could be “vanned” off to end his misery out of sight.
These people are so out of control.
Rose, what racing does to its horses is cruel and inexcusable – yet it’s not enough that they cripple and kill them for gambling entertainment…they cause additional suffering to HIDE the killing.
From those who saw Arms Runner break down, he was clearly catastrophically injured – euthanasia inevitable. But from the Thoroughbred Race Day Injury Management Guidelines (TRDIMG), developed by the AAEP Racing Committee (which included/includes Jeff Blea, DVM, a veterinarian practicing at Santa Anita), this (under “Catastrophic Injury Management”);
“Prompt response to a catastrophic injury is mandatory. The regulatory veterinarian should make EVERY effort to load the injured horse into the ambulance before euthanasia. If loading is not possible, screens should be deployed. Tall screens are preferable and personnel should be trained in proper placement. The ambulance may also be used as a visual barrier. Chains or cables placed around the neck or limbs should never be used to load deceased horses…”
EVERY effort to load the injured horse into the ambulance should be made – FYI, I didn’t choose to use all caps for “every” – that is how it appears in the TRDIMG.
Get that injured horse loaded…make him walk on that broken limb…just get him out of sight before you drop him. THAT…from practicing racetrack vets.
How sad that this sport is not being banned. The poor beautiful horses suffer so much. The people just are so cruel to do this to such great animals.
Susan H-Brown: It is NOT the sport that’s at fault here. Horse racing has been around for millennia without this sort of thing happening. This track has something irredeemable going on. My money is on PEOPLE being at fault, and directly. It’s just still a mystery as to WHOM, but probably people who either don’t know how to make a track safe or are purposely doing something to put these horses at GREATER THAN USUAL RISK. Couple that with money-hungry owners & trainers who are willing to run horses whose bones are not yet hardened…and we get this disastrous affair.
Yes horses die and it is sad. Football players tear ligaments everyday, get concussions everyday are you going to stop playing football? Boxers get their brain smashed every time they have a boxing match. Are you going to cancel boxing? These horses love what they do. Yes this is right up front right now, We need to improve the safety but we don’t need to stop racing.
Can you really be that vacuous?
B- I, as well as many here on this site – have rehomed horses that no longer “loved” to run. There are some on this site who even had to claim horses to get them away from the crap that owned them and failed to acknowledge – due to their greed- that no longer “loved” to run. One – Halos and Angels – NEVER loved to run!! But the owners were too stupid and looking out for themselves to realize that. And how many of these sore, tired, broken down horses would run without the whips and drugs?
As for your asinine argument about human atheletes – humans have a CHOICE to be involved in sports! They also know when they are injured and rest themselves after. Horses have NONE of that! They are medicated – and sent out again- with a little asshole on their back beating the hell out of them to perform again!
They do not euthanize football players on the field nor boxers and these human athletes have the choice to do it but not horses. Also these horses are 3 to 5 years old so they start them at 2y/o; it’s criminal like having your kid boxing or playing pro football at 3. America man! Profit! Profit! Profit! On the back of a baby horse that just wants to please and to survive just for a $5 bet. They probably know that if they don’t run fast enough they will end up at the Mexican or Canadian slaughter house.
I’m reposting another horse lovers post because it is spot on. I am sick of this shit.
The track is back open and today another death – what in the hell is the matter with all of you god damn people in California – are you all that stupid. One day open and another horse dead – do these deaths mean nothing to you ignorant bastards – do you think it is great just to watch how many poor horses and can be killed every day that this shit hole track opens and runs. You people involved here are all killers there is just no other way to describe you and your treatment of these poor horses. Always some bullshit excuse about what happened – you are just a pathetic bunch of assholes that should all be banned from ever owing horses – EVER. This track needs to be closed forever and never reopened. You have no right to be killing these poor horses with your own lack of experience. Such a horrible disgrace.
Killing horses for sport! Not ok!!
Poor baby!
Unbelievable
This has to end…Those poor horses should not be racing… They should be free. Animal cruelty is wrong and inhumane. There should be justice for all of them and who have died…
Maybe that field should not be used if it’s killing horses. 😡
What are those wraps that look like the vacuum pack material. I’ve seen two breaks right st the top of those wrap
It’s a shame,outrageous those poor horses didn’t have to died. For what? For you stupid,idiot and heartless humans all of this for rich to get richer. You will pay one day not with money 💰 .
Horse racing is cruel as hell!!!!
And it needs to be banned!!!!
VILE.
It was inevitable wasn’t it?
After all this is horse racing, and horse racing KILLS horses.
Before I comment, it’s actually a relief to read the comments from people who are OUTRAGED over what’s going on because I’ve been outraged, and supporters of HRW have been outraged for a long time now.
I kept asking myself daily – what in the fuck is it going to take for people to shut this cruelty circus and death ring down?
It’s nothing more than a modern day slavery ring, complete with whips, and sales auction blocks with the slave masters forcing their slaves into servitude to make themselves rich.
In this scenario, contrary to human slave rings, the racehorses have no voice and this is particularly disturbing and only exemplifies the need to shut this down now.
Unfortunately, it’s taken a rash of deaths (which was inevitable) to happen before people are FINALLY starting to see this business for what it is and are shouting out for it to end.
HRW has played an instrumental part of exposing the truth behind their well-planned out public relation lies.
Let’s be clear on a few things straight away: 1. Horse racing is NOT, I repeat, is NOT a sport. So please stop referring to horse racing as a sport. 2. This is NOT, I repeat, NOT an ANOMALY! This vile business has been killing racehorses since its inception. It’s only due to social media that we can finally reveal the FACTS, the DEATH LISTS, and those who die in the slaughterhouse (after they dump them when their limbs can no longer generate a $2 bet) the numbers are minimal at best, about 20,000 according the Canada Agricultural Agency. 3. This is NOT, I repeat, NOT a “bad step,” Equibase, the premier source for horse racing information explicitly, and wrongly, states “bad step, dirt, van.” This is demonstrably false for a couple of reasons. First, the “bad step” theory has been proven wrong by multiple, reputable, vet studies that concluded: masking chronic issues (which about 90% of racehorses have) with DRUGS and with SWT is the main culprits of catastrophic breakdowns (killings, murder whatever you want to call it the end result is the same). We know that the liberal use of drugs, drug cocktails both legal and illegal is rampant in this business, little to nothing is done, and the doping, cheating trainers are rewarded so what does this prove? This proves, time and time again, that this business has a vested interest in doping up the horses to fill races, to keep sore horses running. NEHRO on the PETA video clearly shows a horse that doesn’t even have a foot left, but the morally challenged Steve Asmussen and his equally vile Assistant Trainer, Scott Blasi, and all the enablers of the abuse sent this horse out to, more or less, DIE. This fame of Russian Roulette is going on every single day on every single track and they keep on doing it until we, the people, shut them down.
Now if my previous words have not gotten your attention yet I leave you with this:
In Race 7, COCO KISSES “clipped heals, lost the jock” now this: COCO KISSES CONTRIBUTED TO HER OWN TROUBLE – you fucking low life parasitic scum bag bastards!
People please just think about this comment!!!!
It’s the racehorses fault that she was forced into servitude, doped, beaten/whipped, forced into tight quarters fighting for her survival and it was HER FAULT that she clipped heals???
Just like it’s a rape victims fault that she was walking home from work and got raped right??
People we can do much better than this.
I IMPLORE PETA to get up off your asses and get the petition together to shut this down.
Kathy Guillermo – what in the hell are you waiting for lady?
What the hell is going on there? Don’t these lives mean anything to you? Doesn’t seem like it. With all that’s been happening here, storms, fires, shootings I think God is trying to tell us to “MEND YOUR WAYS!”
Someone needs to stop this .
This is madness. All for greed. There are no excuses. It needs to be shut down!
Horses are being killed at an alarming pace on race tracks. . Please ban this industry. When you mix people and animals with greed, ego and status ~ animals loose. This is an industry that needs to have the history books reflect it ~ close it down.
this is horrible, it’s too extreme for these horses. Stop over breeding these race horses and then putting them down if they don’t do well in the racing world. It’s terrible what people do just for a few dollars!
Raise awareness by sharing these articles. Tag Santa Anita. Let them know our voices are loud!
If this was the Olympics and were humans it would be shut down. The Iditarod has a similar record. Disgraceful.
It is all about money, period, end of story.
To all who bet on these races. Please stop! You are killing one of God’s most beautiful creatures for a few bucks. For shame.
Hope to live to see horse racing made illegal, like greyhound racing etc. It is not entertaining to see wealthy humans exploit horses to feed human egos and bank accounts; another example of cruelty to animals.
First of all these people have a lot of money invested in to these horses for the writer of this artical to say they killed them. There are accidents that happen with animals every day. No one woukd internally harm them. So you are wrong for saying the shit you have said.
Ill have another,ferdinand,nehro,silent ruler,prima zip, time for a j …. these are all examples…..is sending an injured horse out to race and when they breakdown an accident to you? And what has racing being the longest existing competition in america done to prevent these so called accidents? Are you aware of how many horses that have alot of money invested into them are running at the lowest levels possible? Look up these horses and educate yourself the “shit” is very real
And yet the connections sent them out to die, Sue. So if they aren’t responsible- who is?
Sue, I don’t get angry anymore when I read asinine comments like yours because your not worth my breath.
I will also say that in this entire scenario, at the rudimentary level, is a sentient being forced into servitude for money and/or egos – they are the true victims and they are whom I represent when I comment on this site.
People have choices racehorses don’t and they value their life just as any living being does.
They don’t consent to the intense confinement, doping, whipping/beating, etc.etc.
Of course Dr Dre says it all – a multiple stakes winner who ran his ass-off for his owners and got dumped by them, then was subjected to a life full of pain, suffering, neglect, starvation, and horrific abuse.
A walking skeleton with maggots feeding off his bones when he was found with saddle marks still on his back from being ridden, in that condition, just 2 days prior to him collapsing while the rescue group was trying to load him onto the trailer to get him the emergency vet care that he so desperately needed.
The rescue group has nothing to do with the horse racing business, and was begging for donations from the multi-billion dollar industry and the owners whom you defend to no avail!
The owners have no problem spending $100,000 or more buying their next victim, but have every problem taking care of their prior victims who they are directly responsible for maiming!
In fact, the horse racing business provides disposal systems: claiming ranks and kill auctions/slaughterhouse another way they contribute to their deaths.
So the horse racing business KILLS horses, daily, on their tracks, training centers, private farms, and on the slaughterhouse floor and they are solely responsible for this and so are you for defending it.
There should be protests, letters , etc to the appropriate people who can stop this. Where is the governors voice in this suffering, abuse end deaths of these beautiful animals. ???? People must speak to the people who can stop this.
So when will they stop horse racing? How many have to die?
This is sad and needs to stop!!! Something not right here!!! Why so many? Are they ran to death? Ste they hopped up and heart gives out? When you say killed it sounds like it done by someone or something!!! Beautiful Beautofu animals HOW CAN ANYONE LET THIS HAPPEN!!!!!!?
for the love of God stop the race coming up what is wrong with all of you. killing for what You
This is sad should take them to veterinary colleges so they can try rehabilitation .my race horse broke her ankle. It was wrapped casted and she healed. But put out to pasture and enjoyed as a family riding horse.. plus she was given to me from the owner for a long living life..
Lynn- the problem with this is that many of these horses have very literally snapped their legs off. Or, In the case of the little filly that was accidentally caught on the news video, Princess Lili B, she snapped both front legs off. There is no way to fix and rehab that. And, many connections don’t have the money, facilities, or time to rehab horses. Nor do they have much of a desire to. That’s why horses are disposable in this “sport”. Or, if they know they broke them but don’t want to be bothered with fixing them – they will dump them on rescues and rehoming agencies to deal with costs of surgeries and the ordeal of rehab. But, they say they love them like family.
From a racing-employed individual and staunch racing mouthpiece, this from his Twitter…
“Arms Runner, the Peter Miller-trained horse who suffered a fatal injury Sunday at Santa Anita, was on vet’s list in October while receiving 4 legal extracorporeal shock wave treatments a week apart (from 10/2-10/23). He remained in training while being treated & raced Nov. 22.”
For those unfamiliar with extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), it is used to stimulate healing of an injury. But it also has an analgesic effect that can last up to several days so it is imperative that horses being treated for their injury with it also be rested – pain tells a horse to “stop” – without it, he won’t protect himself.
Thanks Joy for these great details.
As an Associate Steward with the CHRB back in 2005, I demanded strict protocols for ESWT back then knowing that the implications of using it would be devastating unless it was managed.
I was met with great opposition from most top trainers there and I was subsequently banned from entering any Stronach-owned property despite the fact that I was scheduled to be in the Steward’s stand at Santa Anita after I completed my assignment at Del Mar.
So that tells me that Santa Anita management, and probably Frank Stronach knew full well that ESWT was being used and probably used it on their own horses to win races.
When I observed the breakdowns they were unique in that there was no prior warning which is not natural for a horse because they know their bodies better than anybody and when they feel pain they will slow down, but then they get whipped/beaten which is another contributing factor to breakdowns no doubt.
Again, the secret doping/vet records keeps all of this a secret and that’s why it’s so important for the D.A’s office, at the request of PETA, to subpoena all records leading up to any racehorse’s death.
These records should be transparent especially to the public who, regrettably, supports horse racing.
Doping coupled with ESWT is a recipe for disaster and horses shipping in from San Luis Rey Downs (ESWT is rampant there or was when I was there) or from other facilities can literally use ESWT hours before the race with no trace or no way to detect it.
We are at this moment solely due to the horse racing industry, and all the pro-horse racing entities.
This is not due to any animal rights groups or people like us – the horse racing business is to blame for their continual deliberate avoidance of any measure to protect racehorses and to keep racing them at any cost.
We live in a world of advanced technology where Closed Circuit Cameras are not expensive at least not for a multi-billion dollar horse racing industry.
Yet, they continue to deny even the most basic technology to protect the horses, to prevent deaths and that’s why they are all complicit in killing racehorses.
At any rate, these exploiters will find a way to cheat their way into the winners circle any any cost even if that means a racehorse dropping dead in the dirt and that’s why it needs to shut down.
How in the he.. was the horse kept in training while receiving this “therapy” and then raced a few weeks later. The horse was absolutely “sacrificed ” by the trainer, owner vet and racing “officials”.
It was not a matter of if this horse would breakdown it was a matter of when. We know horses are disposable and, it follows, humans are also.
This game plays fast and loose with life, period. The situation at Santa Anita Is proof positive. Of course this is not unique. it goes on all the time but SA is high profile and garners more attention than tracks such as Mahpning and Mountaineer, to name but two of the many lesser known.!
(PS Seems this shock “treatment” is in place of the brutal procedure known as pinfiring ?)
Another thing I want to make clear.
I often found trainers who would claim the ESWT treatments to keep suspicion low because they appeared to be complying with the reporting requirements.
Then I saw them perform additional ESWT treatments when nobody was watching and not claim them so there you go.
The fact that trainers claim their ESWT treatments, as in this case, doesn’t mean that’s the only ESWT received.
I found out that some racehorses actually had hairline fractures that was being treated with ESWT and then sent out to run before the fracture was fully healed – sent out to die and probably had an equine insurance policy in place for the upper 10% of racehorses so they are actually paid to kill more or less.
We still can’t get them to answer whether or not Battle Of Midway had an equine insurance policy in place and we are going to take their silence as a “yes.”
So it’s possible that BOM was sent out to die, to cash in on the policy knowing that his stallion policy was non-existent due to his infertility.
This is the business that the breeder of BOM, Ms. Nygaard praised for killing the horse she foaled.
Another important issue: racehorses are being regularly doped and given ESWT – how many times, and what we don’t know because their doping/vet records don’t follow them.
It seems clear that they are repeatedly subjected to these procedures under total secrecy and then dumped into the claiming ranks so that the next trainer can play the game of Russian Roulette with their lives.
You would think that a bunch of people who claim to “care” and “treat them like family members’ would vehemently oppose such destructive policies that ensure racehorses die?
No way – winning at any cost, at the cost of racehorse lives is the name of this game.
To: Peggy. Well said and you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!
And I’ll add… STOP THE CARNAGE!
Horseracing kills. It always has and always will. There is only one solution. IT MUST BE BANNED!!!
This sort of entertainment is akin to the romans throwing people to the lions. What does it take to have rules and regs in place that allow the horses to be run without complete abuse? How much common sense does it take?
what ever is going on has to stop this is ridiculous killing all these horse for a race
I’m demanding a FULL INVESTIGATION including doping/vet/equine insurance records on BATTLE OF MIDWAY.
I request that all people who care, PETA, and/or all horse lovers/animal rights groups, California residents DEMAND that a full investigation into the death of BATTLE OF MIDWAY ensues ASAP.
I want to know the name of the PRIVATE attending veterinarian that WINSTAR FARM supposedly flies out to trainers to treat their horses before they race.
I want to know the SWT records, if any, and all doping/vet records while he was racing.
If the connections were well aware of issues that lead to his subsequent death I demand that Felony Animal Cruelty charges be laid against Winstar et al owners of BOM.
It’s important to note that BOM’s foals have increased in value exponentially after his death.
Once again, the breeder of BOM, Ms. Nygaard – shame on you.
Instead of showing up at the CHRB meeting to praise the very industry that, more or less, killed the horse you foaled you should have demanded an investigation if you truly “loved” and “cared” for BOM.
Your pitiful speech reflected a person who has a piece of their heart and mind missing.
I’m not against racing, but they don’t need to dying in this fashion, or over bred because every dipwad breeder wants the next huge winner, to many wind up slaughtered! This crap has to stop! Also in order to run as 2 year olds they must be started way under 2, knees don’t set until after age 2 on horses. These are lives not just money makers!!!!!
Enough is enough!
WTF IS going on ?I have been in racing as a galloper and hit walker in new Orleans and Churchill and not thesesmsny kiled THIS MUST STOP.ANS STOP NOW. BAN HORSE RACEING.
Horseracing has always killed horses. Always. It’s just that before we came on the scene no one – outside of the industry, that is – knew the extent.
This makes me hate people, people can be terrible, horrible, dumb, and just heartless