Yesterday…
In the 5th at Penn, “CIRCLE UNBROKEN suffered a catastrophic injury to his left front before going a furlong and was humanely destroyed” (Equibase). Destroyed, yes; “humanely,” decidedly not. Circle Unbroken was one of those plebeian claimers being hammered into the dirt – nine years old, 46 races, run twice in 12 days three different times since March – at a cheap, slots-propped track.
By contrast, in her very first time under the whip, 3-year-old Kinley Karole “went wrong” in the 1st at Churchill. To those who may not be in the know, “went wrong” – most especially in Kentucky – almost invariably means dead.
Finally, the under-tack workouts for the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Midlantic “2-Year-Olds in Training Sale” were, says the Thoroughbred Daily News, “marred by the fatal breakdown of [Cat Three B], who fell to the track entering the backstretch while galloping out after his furlong work…” Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. had this to say: “Unfortunately, we had a horse that suffered an injury and was unable to be saved and was put down on the racetrack.” “Unfortunately.” “Marred.” Vile.
Congrats gal dropped dead after Pimlico race
Horrible beyond words!
These poor horses are forced to race at 2 which is disgusting enough, there joints has not even closed up bec they are still growing, it compares asking a toddler to run a 100m track race at full speed!
How can anybody look at even 1 of these pics, 1 of these deaths – a mangled soul laying in the dirt – and STILL support and defend it?
You would have to have some mental issues to continue in this killing business.
Our politicians have serious issues or lots of money going into their pockets to spend precious taxpayers money to support this wholesale carnage.
They need to hear from us, and we need to vote in politicians who are “animal-friendly” and who will explicitly agree to stop ALL funding to horse racing and other venues that exploit animals for profit.
Once the funding stops the majority of racetracks in North America will cease to exist.
It’s just that simple.
I will not have anything to do with racing. Totally barbaric, and no concerns for the horses whatsoever. We have The Grand National in the UK, worse race imaginable, jumps are too high and always horses dying. Time to STOP
Thank you, Penny.
It’s time to stop all this racing it’s all because of you greedy bastards that feel like you must win bets on these horses, You don’t care that the horses hurt you only care about the money
Patrick: Do you have any breakdowns (analysis) of ages of horses at time of death. Or, is that information even available?
I did post ages when I first started this website, Pete, but soon decided that the exact age was irrelevant. We’re often told by the reform-minded that two is too young to be training and racing a horse. In fact, the typical horse does not reach full musculoskeletal maturity – bones aren’t done growing, plates not done fusing – till six, meaning that every age below that is too young. So, it doesn’t matter if the horse was two or five (or seven or eight for that matter). That said, in reporting on the kills as they happen I mostly include the age, which can easily be ascertained on the Equibase website.
People tell me, “If you don’t start race training until the horse is fully grown, you end up with a hard to handle racehorse.”
Really?
What if you simply train a growing horse, to behave in the barn, stand quietly for a vet or farrier, or to be groomed, to not bite, or try to use its weight to smash a person? What if you train that horse, while growing, to accept a saddle on its back? What if you allow that horse, while growing, to pasture with colts or fillies the same age, add a fedw older mares or geldings to teach them herd manners?
Thats basically how my grandfather’s family raised horses, for farm work, for carriage work, for pleasure riding. They never sold them for racers, because as my grandfather said, “Father said racing was a waste of horses, and cruel to them and the riders.”
My great grandfather apparently had a great reputation locally, as someone who sold sound, healthy, and well mannered horses. Too bad his philosophy isn’t followed today.
Horse racing needs to be banned altogether. It’s only about cruelty and betting/money. Most race horses end up at slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada
Horse racing needs to be banned. Let those inbreds find something else to amuse them. These are living breathing animals which are being killed for a bet. What has the world come to. smh
there needs to be stricter regulations and more oversight. no horse should be hurt or injured during a race.that’s nuts
They need more controls on them and racing a 2 year old means starting training at 18 months… I was involved in this and quit.
End Horse Racing Now! It’s simply cruel and abusive!
Cruel , beyond belief .
Oh my God! These horses are giving their all ….and the whipping! The constant whipping! When I hear how “pampered and loved” these horses are it makes me sick to my stomach. This “sport” has been uncovered for what it is……a disgusting display of extreme and depraved cruelty. Thank you, Patrick for raising awareness. How could anyone defend this with the proof of this abuse right before their eyes?
Picture this: you’re in the dog park with your dog and you see a person beating their dog over their flanks with a whip so that it will run faster to catch the ball?
The dog is yelping with every strike.
What would you do?
Exactly, report them so that they can be held accountable for their cruel act.
What do they find when they get the dog back to the animal shelter?
The x-rays show that its been beaten before so the dog gets confiscated as it should.
What happens in horse racing when they beat the living shit out of a tired and/or sore horse?
They get little to nothing and what do they do?
Hand them another horse to beat, maim and kill.
Are we going to continue handling them the horses to beat, dope, maim and kill?
No way and we need to shut this down now.
One of the saddest conversations I had was with a coworkers who loves racing and watches the Kentucky Derby every year. I told her about the deaths, the drugging, the misery that these horses endure – I even showed her pictures of the horses with blood coming from their nostrils, and their legs hanging by a thread of skin. Her response? ” I know, but………”
So sad there are so many like her, knowing but just preferring not to think about it.