Kochees, the 9-year-old gelding (more on that in a bit) who “took a bad step” and was “vanned off” in the 6th at Santa Anita yesterday, is dead – euthanized today, confirms the LA Times, after surgery failed. Now back to his age and reproductive status.
Fractures like Kochees’ end in euthanasia every day across America, and in the vast majority of cases it is the humane course, as horses do not, as a rule, make good candidates for surgery/recovery. But occasionally, the owner has lucrative stud fees dancing in his head. That is not the case here. In fact, Kochees was relatively worthless as an asset – he was “For Sale” at $10,000 prior to dying. So why the surgery? To paraphrase a Clinton (’92) campaign slogan – it’s Santa Anita, stupid. Desperate times (see below) call for desperate measures. Unfortunately, in all likelihood (I concede that I don’t know all the particulars), Kochees was made to unnecessarily suffer during the overnight hours because of said desperation.
Vile. Horseracing.
Psychedelicat, killed racing at Santa Anita Dec 30, 2018
Tank Team, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 4, 2019
Unusual Angel, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 4, 2019
Secret Street, killed training at Santa Anita Jan 8, 2019
Derby Treasure, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 11, 2019
Noise Mandate, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 18, 2019
Amboseli, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 20, 2019
Like Really Smart, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 21, 2019
Last Promise Kept, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 21, 2019
Dancing Harbor, killed training at Santa Anita Jan 23, 2019
Spitfire, killed training at Santa Anita Jan 25, 2019
Kid Cantina, killed racing at Santa Anita Feb 2, 2019
Comegowithme, killed racing at Santa Anita Feb 3, 2019
Jager Time, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 17, 2019
Unusual Rider, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 18, 2019
Hot American, killed racing at Santa Anita Feb 22, 2019
Battle of Midway, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 23, 2019
Just Forget It, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 23, 2019
Charmer John, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 24, 2019
Eskenforadrink, killed racing at Santa Anita Mar 2, 2019
Lets Light the Way, killed training at Santa Anita Mar 5, 2019
Princess Lili B, killed training at Santa Anita Mar 14, 2019
Arms Runner, killed racing at Santa Anita Mar 31, 2019
Commander Coil, killed training at Santa Anita May 17, 2019
Spectacular Music, killed racing at Santa Anita May 19, 2019
Kochees, killed racing at Santa Anita May 25, 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
unidentified, Apr 1-Apr 7, died off-track at Santa Anita
These majestic animals do not deserve this treatment. Please if you must race do it with your heart and head and not your wallet. These animals will give you all you ask…they will do their best for us if they are treated with dignity and respect.
I agree. Some people are just Stupid!
Stop this bullshit.
There is no reason other than the human greed for money to continue to this cruel “sport.”
Stop racing and killing horses
Truly unconscionable, completely selfish human driven greed. Animals are sentient beings Who deserve nothing less but to simply live their lives. This MUST end.
Have you no conscience? Have you no heart? Have you no moral code? You who condone this are dispicable! Shame to you all: just shame! God is watching.
This is not a sport, it’s a business. The people who race horses don’t love the animals. When a horse outlives its usefulness for racing or stud, it’s sent to the glue factory. A Kentucky Derby winner ended up in a slaughterhouse in Japan and was butchered for dog food.
In the 1990’s a group of well-respected horse breeders and trainers was caught hiring hit men to kill racehorses for the insurance. The horses were killed in gruesome ways: rectal electrocution, breaking their legs with a crowbar so they’d have to be put down, and the worst of all – arson. Search wikipedia for “horse murders.”
These poor animals are doped up and forced to race on curves on what are basically toothpicks, skinny legs that can snap if they take a step wrong. It’s inhumane and should be outlawed.
A life in exchange for some dirty money…… humans are a curse to planet earth and all life on it…..
It is obviously time to end horse racing. How can anyone with a conscious and proclaims to care about their horses continue when it is plain and simply hazardous to their horses? By continuing this ‘sport’, it is plainly greed and ego that is the only think winning.
Horses do not deserve to be asked to run for mankind knowing their legs can shatter beneath them. Imagine the pain.
Glory days are over.
Stop killing your Thoroughbreds,
You all are money hungry, greedy sadists. To put animals thru this, I bet God did not intend for horses to be used this way.
Could something be terribly wrong with the track???? How many more horses is it going to take to die before anyone does an intensive investigation to see what the problem is, or, just shut down the race track until a thorough investigation is completed. There is something terribly wrong here and no one is doing anything about it. Don’t worry about your pockets; do something to prevent any more horses from having to be put down. Stop thinking about yourselves.
I agree Leslie. There should be a more aggressive investigation to get to the bottom of what is really causing the death of all of these horses. It should not be about money it should be about the welfare of these horses. Someone knows the truth. I hope they truly get to the bottom of what is really going on.
Leslie, it’s not the track. It’s racing. This literally happens all over the world every day.
Time we stop seeing animals as commodities and a source of entertainment.
Everytime I am seeing another horse dead. Stop this shit!!!. I am outrage and furious . Have no respect or care for these animals. You greedy asses.
THIS MST END. Horses cannot be treated as expendable property. Apparently, that is happening. Do they have huge insurance payoffs on the other side? SHUT THEM DOWN. INVESTIGATE. I’m a big baby on things like this. These horses matter!!! FIX IT OR END IT. The death of a horse should be a very rare occurrence.
Battle Of Midway died there? Holy crap. SOMETHING is super messed up at Santa Anita.
I have lived within 6 miles of Arlington Park racetrack my entire life, 60 years.
After twice out of 15 lifetime visits, seeing a horse collapsed, broken and screaming, I no longer attend the races.
It beautiful pageantry yet too cruel for my taste, so I never visit the track anymore.
The welfare of the horses must be paramount for the ‘sport’ to continue.
Otherwise, it will be just a memory and a huge wasted building.
I believe people would be happy to just watch these amazing animals just run…no winner needed!
Thank you, Pat.
These sweet babes are used and abused by disgusting greedy people. Your place in hell is waiting for you. God created horses for us to adore, admire, and love. You inhumane people have no souls …
This isnt just over training. There is more to this horrific story that is not being told. You have 30 or more horses dead between December and May. Nothing has changed to stop it from happening. So whats the real truth behind the grossly mistreatment of these horses? What does Santa Anita get out of it and what do the owners of these horses get? I would think after horse 4 or 5 that owners would pull their horses out of that glue factory. Not to mention after horse 25 to 30! This is a serious malfunction that should have serious consequences. The payoff must be high for this to still be the daily routine at Santa Anita.
Find another pastime animals are not there to entertain us or earn us money they are to be kept loved adorned from a far.
This is just so incredibly sad and it is day after day of the same god damn torture. I wish the humans got to experience the pain and suffering that they are putting these poor horses through daily. Horses were never meant for this bullshit racing. It is all about the money and nothing about the horses and their care. You owners and trainers a bunch of losers there is no other word to describe any of you and that is being said only because of the written presentation – the wording is actually so much stronger. You are all abusers and killers. A gelding is worth nothing to you people because he is no longer a stallion and you say of no worth – I say bullshit to all of you – he is a living animal with feelings that did not deserve to have this horrible death – don’t make it seem like you were a bunch of hero’s because you had the surgery done – it should have never happened in the first place. You killed this poor soul and I hope you all rot in hell – the sooner the better.
The only “thing” worthless is man himself. This has to stop…. Humans can find other entertainment without the misery and suffering of those who have no voice.
Shut this horrible place down. ASAP. Wish I lived closer. I’d be there with a picket sign every race. Poor creatures shouldn’t suffer for human entertainment.
This needs to stop I’ll never go to a race again now. I’m not in to hurting animals just you can flaunt your money around
they are to young to race their knees are not fully closed until they are 7 years old. STOP FUCKING RACING HORSES
It would be interesting to know the names of the trainers and owners!!
Myra, go to a website called EQUIBASE.
Top right corner, put the racehorses’s name in there where it says horse.
All the records will come up EXCEPT for a racehorse who has not officially started in a race.
The name will come up for official workout purposes, but will obviously not have a race record.
I invite you to peruse the “comment” section of a race and there the abuse is laid out for you via euphemisms and adjectives.
It details a horror show for these poor racehorses.