For Shame: Mechanicville Invites Trainer With 16 Kills (in NY Alone) to Address Graduating Class

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Follows is the letter I sent to Mechanicville City School District officials this morning…

Good afternoon. By way of introduction, my name is Patrick Battuello and I am the founder and president of Horseracing Wrongs. I am writing to respectfully ask that you rescind your invitation to racehorse trainer Chad Brown to speak at Mechanicville High’s graduation Saturday. And here’s why:

Through our unprecedented FOIA reporting, Horseracing Wrongs has documented – with names, dates, locations – over 5,000 confirmed kills on U.S. tracks just since 2014. Our research indicates that over 2,000 horses are killed racing or training across America every year. Over 2,000. Imagine that.

In addition, hundreds more die back in their stalls from things like colic, laminitis, or are simply “found dead in the morning.” And in perhaps the worst of it, the vast majority of spent or simply no-longer-wanted racehorses are brutally and violently bled-out and butchered in Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses – some 12,000-15,000 Thoroughbreds alone each year. In short, and written without a hint of hyperbole, the U.S. horseracing industry is engaged in wholesale carnage. Carnage.

Obviously, the “renowned” (your word) Brown is not immune. In New York alone (Mr. Brown plies his craft in multiple states), and at but two tracks at that, he has 16 kills on his record since 2009, with the most recent coming only this month at Saratoga:

Hard To Explain, killed at Belmont, 9/16/09
Tony Manero, killed at Belmont, 10/9/09
Bluember, killed at Saratoga, 8/22/12
Poppo, killed at Belmont, 10/26/13
Ludicrous, killed at Saratoga, 8/23/14
Jay Bird, killed at Saratoga, 5/5/15
Helwan, killed at Belmont, 6/6/15
Defined, killed at Saratoga, 6/30/15
Innovation Economy, killed at Saratoga, 8/1/15
Hadeed Fi Hadeed, killed at Saratoga, 5/30/16
Jonrah, killed at Saratoga, 8/3/16
Puissant, killed at Belmont, 5/7/17
Lakalas, killed at Saratoga, 5/28/17
Wanztbwicked, killed at Saratoga, 7/22/17
Business Expense, killed at Saratoga, 9/13/18
Investment Analyst, killed at Saratoga, 6/7/19

As I’m sure you are aware, largely because of the just-concluded Santa Anita meet, the cruelty of the racing industry and, more specifically, death at the track is a hot-button issue, with virtually every national media outlet covering it. (In fact, I was recently featured on a segment of HBO’s “Real Sports” and, just this week, a CNN expose.)

Clearly, it is becoming increasingly difficult for this industry to find cover under the banner of sport. Truth is, like the dead or dying Ringling Bros., SeaWorld, and greyhound racing, horseracing is but exploitation of a weaker species. It is ugly and mean and cruel, and Mr. Brown is very much a part of that. Is this the kind of person you want addressing young, impressionable minds? Does the Mechanicville School District really want to throw in its lot with a seedy gambling industry that grinds up and spits out thousands of sentient beings annually? Or would it rather project the higher ethics of mercy and compassion? If the last, then there is only one choice to be had: Cancel Chad Brown’s invitation.

Respectfully,
Patrick Battuello
Founder/President, Horseracing Wrongs, a 501(c)(3) organization
518-410-6192
patrick@horseracingwrongs.com
horseracingwrongs.com

16 Comments

  1. I also agree I wouldn’t want a child of mine influenced by Mr.Brown soon against him speaking to those children.

  2. a person who is a horse lover would not want a “killer” influencing a child. I would also look at other issues involving horses dying at all the racetracks . Years ago, many horses were dying because an “accident ” happened and their feed was contaminated. It also happened in some of the top dollar breed clubs. There are too many things not being checked. I believe that a very complete investigation is needed to clean out “the barn” of ALL the possibilities. I still wouldn’t want Mr Brown talking to my child.Just my opinion.

  3. You write so eloquently. I hope they listen.

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

  5. Why don’t they have you, Patrick, speak instead? It would be a chance to “educate” a lot of people. Something I know we all need. How stupid of that dumb high school administration to pick one of the
    horse killers. Outrageous!

  6. It seems like a lot of people don’t want to think along the lines of horses (or other animals) having feelings and emotions because that would bring in a moral precedence that would drastically change what we do with animals and how we treat them. As unthinking meat machines, we can confine them in filth, inject them with chemicals, drill holes in their skulls while they are awake and stick wires in their brains (Michigan University is really good at sick stuff like this) and literally tear them apart while they are still alive.
    But once you recognize that a horse has intelligence, thoughts, and emotions, then morally you have an obligation to take that into consideration. It’s easier to shove a piece of metal in a horse’s mouth and whip him until he welts than it is to take the time to understand his perspective and try to develop a relationship with him.
    As a horse owner myself, I can tell you that there is a gentleness and an intelligence to horses that these people will never know, and have horribly betrayed.

  7. This is a perfect example of the normalization of doing terrible things.

  8. Thank-you Patrick for being a voice for the racehorses,.
    Perhaps we should call the school and politely request that they get another speaker not a killer.
    Aside from the obvious moral issue of killing racehorses I would like to remind them that Chad Brown exploits human beings as well.
    https://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2019/05/23/trainer-chad-brown-fined-for-underpaying-employees.html

    Please FAX this article to the Principal because our youth needs the truth – not lies – not delusions.
    How would the parents of the children at this school like their child to work 7 days per week almost 12 hour days taking care of million-dollar racehorses and then not get paid for weeks if not months for their hard labor?
    They crucify the racehorses because they can – they have no voice.
    They don’t like it when people speak out and tell the truth like HRW.
    In fact, a recent article categorized all opponents of horse racing as “animal rights terrorists.”
    So while the pro-horse racing entities maim, beat, dump, and kill racehorses.
    While they ruin people’s lives by not paying them for their hard work they have the nerve to label people who oppose this uncivil and vile business “terrorists.”
    They need to take a good hard look at themselves because they qualify for terrorists more than animal lovers ever will.

  11. UPDATE.
    Many students’ intentionally turned their back on Chad Brown because they demanded to get another speaker citing “the brutality of horse racing,” and “somebody who doesn’t pay their help,” etc etc.
    For some unknown reason the Superintendent insisted on going forward with Chad Brown as a speaker.
    Many other students’ walked out with their parents so he didn’t receive a hero’s welcome nor should he.
    He should be called out for what he is: a racehorse doper, maimer and killer.
    No amount of success can justify this morally bankrupt behavior and our youth should not be taught this nor should they be forced to listen when they already expressed their dismay and outrage.
    Listen to our younger generation – they get it – they know what’s going on and that it’s wrong.
    Contrast that to this post by a horse racing supporter and apologist:
    “The Mechanicville High School students (and their parents) who protested Chad Brown should be reminded that closed-minded people who think they know it all usually don’t get very far in life. People who are smart and successful are open to learning from other people, even if they may have philosophical differences.”
    Of course it was signed anonymously because this coward didn’t want his or her identify known.
    How dare you suggest that our young people, who are aware of this monster, are not smart!
    How dare you?
    The horse racing business will soon see in years to come just how smart these young people are because they will shut you down, and they will only vote in those politicians who are not dirty enough to accept money above morality and there will not be enough to support your racehorse killing – there isn’t enough now.

    • Why would Anyone WANT TO LISTEN TO A KILLER OF HORSES. WHO PICKED THIS bum TO BE THE SPEAKER???? THEY MUST BE REALLY IGNORANT OR ON HIS PAYROLL.. It;s amazing to me that people didn’t pick up on this sooner, and tell the idiot who wanted this person to get someone else-less offensive. the almighty $ is really getting out of hand=killers are now speakers-what a JOKE !!!!!!!!

  12. And yet there is a new group called Amplify trying to target 4-H and other impressionable youth to rekindle interest in the industry – featured in Blood horse online. It is crucial we act now to shut this newest threat to the innocent who suffer, bleed, and die horribly every day!

  13. Yesterday at Belmont another victim of Chad Brown was “vanned-off” in Race 9.
    The name is DEMARCHELIER (GB) – is he dead?
    Of course it was the horse’s fault because, golly gee, he took a “bad step.”
    Very suspicious situation.
    The horse was bought for $592,486 and shipped over here?
    This is where a full investigation should take place including whether there was an equine insurance policy in place?
    I do believe that New York Racing has a rule where this is supposed to be published on their site.
    Chad Brown and “honor” speaker at his former high school the other day.
    He failed to mention all the racehorses who have died under his legal care, custody, and control nor did he mention the fact that he hasn’t paid his help for months and was order to pay up.
    This dude is no here – he’s a racehorse maimer and killer.

  14. SHUT DOWN depravedly cruel Chad Brown — SHUT DOWN cruel, evil, sadistic HORSE-RACING industry — FOREVER.

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