The latest Stewards Reports from Delaware Park reveal the following:
“Consultation with trainer Claudio Gonzalez with reference to a ‘sudden death’ on July 1st.” The victim, alas, was not disclosed; I will make inquiries.
Wednesday, the stewards reported a temperature of 94 degrees with an “extreme heat advisory“; they went on to mention that it was “straight to the gate, no post parade due to excessive heat.” Three horses were scratched for “anhydrosis” – failure of the sweat glands – another for “heat/best interest of the horse.” And yet, 59 horses were put to the whip in those oppressive conditions; one, 3-year-old Crossbow’s Wildcat, “collapsed [after finishing last] on the horse path returning to the barn due to a heat stroke – multiple lacerations.” Imagine that.
What the preceding constitutes is unmitigated animal cruelty – in fact, a felony under Delaware law. While we continue to work to end this vile industry, it can’t hurt to hold the bastards’ feet to the fire. Contact info for Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings: 302-577-8500, attorney.general@delaware.gov. As for all who attended or gambled on those races Wednesday, two words: for shame.
For shame.
The northeast. Racetracks are not running this weekend due to weather except Monmouth .We all know why. The money making Haskell race with the big names. They say the ocean breeze cools it off. To my calculations the ocean is 2 miles away from the track. No ocean breeze
Is there somewhere to call today to voice an opinion about the safety of all the beautiful horses before it’s too late?
Nancy, the only thing I can think of is to call the track and ask to speak to the head steward. Maybe there should be a lot of calls!!! Of course, we are not naïve enough to think there will be any meaningful response but at least they would know people are watching and concerned enough to make a call.
Monmouth Park ( the one with the ocean breezes!!!!) Tel. Number:732-222-5100
Thanks Rose. I’m on it!!!!
WOODBINE RACETRACK EXTREME HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT 40 degrees Celsius (104+ F) and these animal abusing bastards won’t cancel racing – at least not yet.
Their “directive” on the Ontario Alcohol and Gaming site pretty much leaves it up to industry members and the vet, Chambers, is an apologist and horse owner himself so you can’t expect any neutral decision from him.
This is NOT the actions of people who care about horses.
This clearly shows an industry that doesn’t give a damn about their gambling chips the racehorses are there to be used, abused and exploited at the expense of Ontario taxpayers and a Premier Ford who is in with the old boys club taking care of all his friends.
These apologists make me sick,
Please call Ontario Alcohol and Gaming or Woodbine Racetrack and tell them how you feel about this.
Gina please check on Woodbine. I think they made a decision to cancel
No they didn’t Nancy – they ran yesterday when domestic animals were being kept inside due to the extreme heat.
Today, it’s going to be the hottest day of the year here.
They are calling for 130 F temperatures, including humidity factor, and it’s 0700 hours, the air is so thick you can hardly breathe.
No announcement yet by Woodbine or Equibase while other tracks have already indicated, as of yesterday, that they are cancelling races.
There’s no excuses for this – none.
The only thing it shows it how they don’t care and they would probably run if it didn’t upset the public because it doesn’t seem to upset them.
This is blatant animal cruelty.
How many horses have to die????Make stricter laws and rules or just ban it all together.
And if it is not bad enough to run these horses with an “extreme heat advisory” in effect they are dosed with injections of the drug, Lasix, which causes dehydration along with electrolyte depletion. And that is on top of the dehydration and electrolyte loss horses are already going through in extreme heat – animal abuse!
Also, I would like to know if water was withheld before the race?
Of mild interest was the winner of that claiming race was the only horse not given Lasix.
Racing does not have even the most basic of rules to prevent horse abuse and cruelty. These people can do what they like with impunity.
Most businesses operate under a set of rules and are held accountable for violations, but not racing. Why ???
Even the brain dead racing apologists can’t justify this – and those that try need to seriously pull their heads out of their collective asses. This is not a sport in any remotely definitive sense of the word, and these so-called animal protection groups had better sack up and start standing up against this blatant cruelty and abuse.
To the Humane Society of The United States and PETA I say this: you are guilty of the same cruelty and negligence as these monsters, but your crimes are so much worse because you had the power to step forward and protect the innocent and the dying, but you refused. The deaths of every race horse is on YOU. I don’t care how many other animals you save – all I see are the ones you don’t give a damn about.
What has happened to MAN. He has lost his values as well as his compassion. Money has taken precedent over life. It is TIME that MAN RIGHTS HIS WRONGS.
It’s not only “man” or “men,” it’s also woman.
Female trainers in the horse racing business make no distinction since they have racehorses maimed and/or killed under their direct care, custody, and control such as Linda Rice, Josie Carroll, Carla Gaines, Python Patricia Farro, Katherine O’Donnell, etc.)
It’s people Gail, male/female, gay/straight – it’s humans and there are no distinctions with gender when it comes to members of the human race harming animals and our planet.
Conversely, it’s going to take everybody to pull together and change the destructive things that people do including killing racehorses for this unnecessary gambling venue.
Too hot for a post parade but not too hot to race them and whip them – give me a break!
These people would be a joke if they were not so evil.