While I was busy writing this morning’s post on Santa Anita’s 40th death of 2019, a horse who was slated for the Breeders’ Cup next weekend was being killed while training in England. According to owner Godolphin, Line of Duty “suffered a serious injury…and upon veterinary advice, the decision was taken to euthanise.” Trainer Charles Appleby says, “Line of Duty was a brave horse…and will be sorely missed.” Vile.
Sad Sad Sad, unnecessary and just plaine greed by people!!! Complete abuse of power!!!!! Leave rhem alone. No more racing, it needs to be outlawed – now!
LINE OF DUTY was purchased by the Sheik for $550,000 and made $829,000.
This is small change to this dude as I sat and watched him, back around 2007, spend around 10 million at the Keeneland Select Yearling sale and often spends this amount topping the buyer list at the auctions.
I spoke with a former farrier who was recruited to work on his private horse racing compound in Dubai.
He spent 5 years there saved every cent since all of his expenses were taken care of – the Sheik is known for recruiting the best American supporting racehorse personnel and takes care of them handsomely including a bevy of vets and exercise riders.
Anyways, all of that money was tax-free so he was able to come back to the U.S and buy a hobby farm.
He told me that racehorses were being abused on the compound, but everybody keeps their mouth shut.
He told me that the Sheik and his Arabic trainer believes in “hard-core” training which includes running the 2 year olds over the desert sand for hours, in the extreme heat until they drop from exhaustion.
They believe this increases their physical and mental stamina.
He says that most of those million dollar racehorses that he shod were sore, very sore, the legs and feet were bad and most couldn’t endure the deep sand that they intentionally trained them in.
He said lots die from colic from the sand that gets into just about everything.
They go there to race, die and very few end up in the breeding program just like Japan and now China – the new frontier for American racehorses now that American horse racing is on the decline.
They are disposable products there as much as they are here.
He won’t be “sorely missed” as I’m sure they are focused on their next racehorses.
Line of Duty has probably already been sent to the incinerator.
This doesn’t surprise me because Sheik Maktoum recruited and exploited young children (around 7-10 years old), enslaved them on compounds in Dubai for the sole purpose of being camel jockeys.
Mind you, the parents of these children were told that they were going to get an education and be taken care of – they weren’t as clearly shown in a documentary.
In fact, they were starved, beaten and forced to ride camels for Dubai’s personal gambling habits.
Many were maimed/crippled for life, some died, and many were sent back when they couldn’t ride.
They even put drugs into their food to decrease their appetite.
Human rights groups took years to expose this, but we did.
The links between human rights violations and animal exploiters and abusers is parallel.
“A brave horse” because he had no other choice but to live in his Hell of isolation, drugs, and whipping. “Sorely missed” – at least the potential money he could have made. These trainers make me sick.
I am actually in agreement with a commenter on the PR about the death of this 3-year-old…they trained him today then were going to make him travel thousands of miles for a race a week from now?!? Unbelievable.
Joy,I know you have a real fondness for the chestnuts like me,I made the mistake of looking at footage of Line of Duty,I wish I hadn’t..he looked just like my A Fleet Attitude 😭😭😭,an adorable chestnut with the white blaze and he was a little dude like my proud boy. It’s so unnecessary and so💔.Please let’s put a stop to this
Bonnie, yes, I do…it started, for me, with Secretariat – loved his coppery coat with the splashes of white then and still do today.
And, yes, I found photos of Line of Duty – and shared one on the HW FB post about his death. He was adorable.
Brave horse. I didn’t realize he had a choice. The crap that comes out of these people’s mouths is ridiculous.
Had the unfortunate timing of tuning into tvg,they were interviewing scumbag Andy Barr republican Rep. for Ky.,he was bragging about he got a tax break for buyers of horses.USA is falling so behind in every aspect of kids we’re putting out,infrastructure,health care…but by all means let’s prioritize giving tax breaks to the wealthy!!!! FUCKING unbelievable. There’s your republicans for you,always giving a helping hand to those who don’t deserve it. Red states are mainly inbred Appalachian ,or trailer park. You probably won’t post this but I’m giving it my best shot.
The most astounding part is that people will vote for him because they think he’s done something useful without pausing for one moment to think about it.
It’s so SAD,Alan,last I heard a few years ago USA ranked 27th in the world,behind even a lot of much poorer countries,don’t even get me started on our CRAZY,greedy,bad outcome healthcare dysfunction and climate CRISIS. This country has MASSIVE problems.27th ranking was where are kids ranked,I’m sure it’s even WORSE by now.
Unfortunately you hit a nerve with me when you stated about “red states are mainly inbred Appalachian or trailer park.” It leads me to believe you have been watching too much of “The Hills Have Eyes” and or reading junk about Roswell. Lol. If your work place had 50 in house counsel you would know better than to say such a thing. Besides people who are inbred and/or live in trailers do not vote.
Sadly, I can say with certainty this killing fields,amoral torture show will never thru legislation be brought to a merciful end with repubs. in office, just look what Trump has done as far as protections for animals. The only “accomplishment “ he has done is tax breaks for corporations and those who don’t need assistance.
If my memory serves me correctly, two (2) horses have died in recent years under his care when he brings a few out from the UK, mainly for the Melbourne Spring Carnival each year. In 2017, The Gold Trail broke down in a race just past the wire after placing 4th and was euthanased. The name of the other horse escapes me atm. Plus a couple have suffered injuries and scratched from their allotted races. So it’s no surprise at all, to read that yet another of Godolphin’s racehorses has died under his care.
And this today 29.10.19 – another Charlie Appleby trained horse sent to vet hospital showing signs of soreness in the process of being readied for our Melbourne Cup –
https://www.racenet.com.au//news/melbourne-cup-contender-sent-to-ballarat-vet-clinic-20191028
this bloke has quite a history.
So the Godolphin horse, Ispolini trained by Charlie Appleby has been scratched from the Melbourne Cup
https://www.racenet.com.au//news/marmelo-one-of-two-internationals-pulled-from-melbourne-cup-20191030
“RV has reported Marmelo’s scans revealed ‘an incomplete fracture in the horse’s near fore cannon bone and an incomplete fracture in its off hind cannon bone’.
Stewards also reported Ispolini’s scans showed the horse had ‘pre-fracture pathology within the horse’s right front cannon bone.’ ”
Yes, they’re getting very nervous about a horse breaking down in this year’s Melbourne Cup.
It will be interesting to see if these imported horses return to the UK. Ispolini ($833,000 in prizemoney alone) is a gelding and may not be worth the cost of sending him back, however, Marmelo (almost $2million in prizemoney alone) is an entire and likely to be kept for the breeding barn.
Interesting how the vets can have varying opinions – Marmelo’s apparently find nothing wrong with these up-to-date scans and disagree with the RV vets ?
Ooops nearly forgot, the obscene money to be earned from potentially winning or placing to 15th in the MC is just too irresistible.
The very nice filly Quotation that was entered in the horrible slop today at Keeneland in the 6th DNF. The PDF which has been lying lately said she was pulled up and walked off. The Equibase race record said DNF. Maybe its the same thing. Why do these trainers enter horses when they have no chance? Brad Cox can take credit for this one. I wonder what is happening to her right now. Any bets? Alive or dead.
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
This horse racing needs to stop nationwide. No respect for the life of a horse and our society has become where there is even no respect for life in any form! It must stop somewhere and not sometime, for that time is now ! The cost of our greedy human pleasure and for money
Has cost too many horses lives. It will continue until someone takes matters in their hands and our legislators puts a stop to this inhumane treatment yes they may be lavished when they’re in the Barns and be taken care of there but they have no voice :they are made to perform with no choice to do otherwise and it could cost them their lives and many times does . You can tell yourself they are bred to race but they are not bred to have heart attacks ,broken legs and other severe injuries that cost their lives ! this is not in their breeding this is in our drive to make them run faster, be better and bring in that big cash prize! Put an end to this thing they call a form of sport, it is animal abuse.