On the same day (Monday) that Santa Anita resumed its killing, another of Racing’s crown jewels, Saratoga Race Course, claimed its 16th victim of 2019. (While racing at Saratoga ended Labor Day, training carries on.) Noble Spirit, says the Gaming Commission, “sustained injury while breezing…subsequently euthanized.” Noble Spirit was three and had been put to the whip five times, four of those at Saratoga.

Saratoga has now surpassed its historical (since 2009) kill-average by two – the lie of NYRA’s “demonstrably safer” racing laid bare, yet again.

Golden Julia, May 30, stall, “found distressed in stall…died from acute blood loss”
Investment Analyst, Jun 7, training, “sustained leg injury necessitating euthanasia”
Gattino Marrone, Jul 3, training, “fractured sesamoids, euthanized”
Fight Night, Jul 12, racing, “fell heavily after the wire, euthanized on track”
Total Fidelity, Jul 14, training, “suffered fracture to LF sesamoids, euthanized”
Overlord, Jul 15, stall, “colonic rupture, euthanized”
Verravanni, Jul 25, stall, “pleuropneumonia”
Misspent Youth, Jul 27, training, “cardiovascular collapse”
Umetuka, Jul 31, training, “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Divine Miss Grey, Aug 3, racing (euth Aug 26), “complications [after] surgery”
Sundae On Sunday, Aug 4, racing, “collapsed, euthanized”
Go Big Or Go Home, Aug 28, racing, “went wrong, euthanized”
Sister Beauty, Aug 31, training, “ambulanced to [hospital], inoperable, euthanized”
Borough Boy, Sep 2, racing, “took a bad step, fell heavily”
So Surprising, Sep 7, training, “fractured sesamoids, euthanized”
Noble Spirit, Sep 16, training, “sustained RF injury…subsequently euthanized”