Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have confirmed the following deaths at that state’s tracks in 2018. (Please note: The Board redacted the names of the dead horses; any identifications below came via other channels. Also, because of the sheer volume, I will be posting in increments of 10.)
unidentified 2-year-old, May 3, Santa Anita T
“LEFT FRONT LEG: complete, comminuted fracture of MCIII; severe tearing and hemorrhage of the soft tissues surrounding the area of fracture; LEFT REAR LEG: complete, comminuted fracture of the right tibia and fibula; severe tearing and hemorrhage of the muscles surrounding the area of fracture (that’s two broken legs)
Bella Sierra, May 10, Santa Anita R
“comminuted, complete, displaced articular transverse fracture of the medial proximal sesamoid bone, with: avulsion fracture, axial margin, medial proximal sesamoid bone; longitudinal and transverse rupture, intersesamoidean ligament and fibrocartilage; marked fraying, sesamoidean ligaments; marked fraying and partial transection, deep digital flexor tendon and superficial digital flexor tendon”
Fast Munny, May 19, Santa Anita R
“horse was trailing field and suddenly collapsed and expired at the wire – extensive hemorrhages of the left caudal lobe, hemorrhages in multiple organs, diffusely congested liver and kidneys, and chronic gastric erosions/ulcers” (five years old)
Waya Ed, June 2, Santa Anita R
“catastrophic fracture of the right tibia; several variable size bone fragments within the two main fractured bone fragments; severe tearing and hemorrhage of the muscles of the leg surrounding the area of fracture”
unidentified 9-year-old, June 2, Santa Anita
“history of colic for 2 days – owner declined referral hospital visit for further dx and tx; horse had a large enterolith in the right dorsal colon-small colon junction…the area presented congestion, suggesting that there was intermittent and/or partial obstruction, that must have been responsible for the clinical signs observed”
Amada Rafaela, June 7, Santa Anita R
“severe pulmonary hemorrhage; horse staggered and collapsed…rapid onset of agonal breathing with white mucus membranes; both lungs presented many sub-pleural hemorrhages; large amount of red-tinged stable froth in the trachea and lower airways; acute hemorrhage, pelvic fracture, vertebral fracture(s)”
unidentified 3-year-old, June 14, Santa Anita T
“complete, displaced, articular, fracture of both proximal sesamoid bones, with a focal area of subchondral sclerosis of the medial proximal sesamoid bone (chronic, likely predisposing lesion), with: avulsion fracture, axial aspect of the proximal lateral sesamoid bone; rupture, inter-sesamoidean ligament and fibrocartilage; rupture, cruciate ligaments; rupture, annular ligament”; other leg: “cartilage thinning”
Tiffany Diamond, June 17, Santa Anita R
“catastrophic left hind fetlock failure – there were over 40 bone fragments of varying sizes; extensive subcutaneous hemorrhage and edema in the metatarsal area and the suspensory ligament; [multiple] tendons were surrounded by hemorrhage and edema.” other back leg: “subcutaneous and periarticular hemorrhage and swelling of the fetlock joint and the proximal interphalangeal joint”
unidentified 10-year-old, June 28, Santa Anita
“horse was found dead by barn personnel following an unexplained struggle in the stall – presumptive heart failure with: severe pulmonary congestion and edema”
unidentified 3-year-old, July 8, Santa Anita T
“humerus had a comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the diaphysis; at the caudal aspect of the bone, specifically in the neck, there was a focal irregular red area, interpreted as a callus – the fracture line traveled through this callus…[then] traveled distally through the teres major tuberosity reaching the distal third of the humerus, then traveled along the musculo-spiral groove back to the neck of the humerus”
BUSTED BODIES AND SPIRITS for an unnecessary gambling venue.
This has GOT TO GO!
There is not one person on this board who is not exploiting racehorses and they continue to use the excuse that people who are part of the horse racing business are the only ones suitable for the board.
Bullshit.
They have been protecting the doping, beating, maiming, dumping, and dying for years.
California animal rights activists should be on the board because it isn’t any less extreme than these racehorse killers who continue to mask the truth.
Exactly WHO are they protecting, WHO are these trainers and connections of these racehorses who remain deliberately anonymous?
The few names obtained (not provided) are, yours truly, multiple racehorse killers BOB BAFFERT (racehorse AMADA RAFAELA), JEFF MULLINS ( racehorse FAST MUNNY) MICHAEL MACHOVSKY (TIFFANY DIAMOND).
They just keep on killing and the CHRB just keep on covering it up.
It’s horrific to read and see this massacre, carnage, and outright killing of racehorses.
It’s a public butcher show.
They all matter, and I’m all sorry for you, but the unidentified 9 year old horse who suffered greatly while the owner denied him care!
In any other setting this owner would be charged under Felony Animal Cruelty laws for not providing medical care to an animal they own – end of story.
Then the 10 year old who “unexplained struggle in the stall,” and the name is NOT being released.
The CHRB are accessories to these killings – outright murder of an animal and this racehorse suffered.
Anybody who supports, participates and defends this horror show should hang their head in shame.
These horrific injuries are painful God bless the horses and owner refused hospital treatment for an obstruction and colic what kind of monster are you? This needs to stop!!!!!!!