Yesterday, according to Equibase:
In the 2nd at Delta Downs, “Gentleman’s Prize dueled from the outside early, stopped, was eased, fell at the sixteenth pole and was euthanized.” Gentleman’s Prize was six; this was his 29th time under the whip.
Two hours later, in the 2nd at Charles Town Races, “Punky Boo broke her right hind leg shortly after the start and had to be euthanized on the track.” Punky Boo was three; this was her 3rd time under the whip.
Dead horses every day – this is horseracing.
There was another one too. I’m not sure if she died though. This one was a 2 year old filly at I believe Fairgrounds. I took note of it because Dallas Stewart is definitely on my LIST. There is no telling how many horses he has killed or ruined in the last year. There was a 3 year old filly at Keeneland last spring and now this 2 year old and he ruined that Perfect Soul horse when he shipped it to the horrible red dirt of Del Mar for the Pacific Classic and it had a meltdown after the race frim too much lasix on a hot humid day along with running a long distance on a heavy track. This guy is a menace to any horse and all horses should be removed from him and moved to other trainers. The problem with that…..not too many are any better.
(At least) 2 more heartbreaks! Seems to have become a daily occurrence. How shameful! End racing and shut these bastards down! ALL OF THEM.
Only 6 and 3. Cheated of their lives just as they were starting out. No matter! They are instantly replaceable, right? And Gentleman’s Prize, 6, and Punky Boo, all of 3, were doing “what they were born to do”, to be whipped to run faster than their bodies could manage, and to die “doing what they loved”. So, all is well and no one has to grieve. Happy tears!!
Patrick, Sneaky Freak got pulled up yesterday at Fair Grounds. Any word on Creative Mist? (Charlestown)
The fact that Punky Boo broke one of her hind legs so soon after the start suggests that the stress placed on her pelvic and hind areas when jumping out of the gates caused her death. Restrained, confined and sometimes spurred in the gate and then expected to jump out fast is yet another unnatural task forced upon these magnificent horses.
This innocent young 3 year old filly has her life stolen from her. Unacceptable!
Pathetic and this should not be happening in this day and age. The racing industry has blazed their own path with no supervision or board overseeing and imposing humane treatment of these horses. I see the damage they do, even to the ones that come off the track (I have some) and the behaviors that need to be erased that is ingrained into a 2 year olds head.
I applaud Patrick for your diligence and everyone that participates in the demonstrations at the tracks. We are not going away. I don’t care how many people an abused or dead horse keeps employed. Find a real job.
Here’s the thing – I’ll cut to the chase.
We’ve heard and still hear, repeatedly, that they “love” and “care for them like a family member.”
Well if they really did then they would be demanding that horse racing is subjected to Felony Animal Cruelty laws like any other domestic pet.
Instead, true to industry form, they refer things to their racing commissions which are nothing more than protectors of the billions in wagering NOT the racehorses.
They continue to condone racehorse abuse, dumping and killing daily by their slap-on-the-wrist penalties.
The apologists watch this every single day and do or say nothing about it.
No neutral investigations or investigations that lead to nowhere because they are the hens guarding the hen house.
They don’t want it any other way and Kentucky went rogue when they just pushed to pass a law cementing racehorses as “livestock” stripping any chance away for them to get domestic protections under the law.
Hardly people that care, but Kentucky also permits the incessant beating of a racehorse, even into the ground, with no rules or repercussions.
Again, these poor racehorses and I’m sorry for all of you – dead or alive.
Hi, Gina! I’m guessing you’ve seen the D.A.’s report. Lacey just announced that every single horse death investigated in Cali was within legal bounds; there’s to be no criminal prosecution of anyone involved.
Rather than be disappointed by this news, I will choose to embrace the upside: the public now sees these fatalities at the Santa Anita Death Track were not even an aberration. They’re how horse racing is supposed to work. If Lacey found evidence of a crime (or several) that led to these deaths, race officials would have had a handy excuse for the ongoing bloodbath that they can’t and/or won’t stop.
PR has the explanation and findings.
Somebody needs to sue the veterinarians, the track owners because this is fucking bullshit that none of these assholes are being held accountable.
Yes, Kelly, the LA County DA’s report regarding “criminal wrongdoing” in the (2019) racehorse deaths at SA was EXACTLY as I thought it would be – they are all blameless – nothing to see there. This included the following; “[the report] found no evidence of injured horses being intentionally or knowingly raced at SA.” Did the task force not look at the numerous videos of the lame Mongolian Groom prior to his breakdown and death in the BCC?
The San Diego Union-Tribune had quite a telling article about Mongolian Stable and their sickening exploitation of the doomed Mongolian Groom. From the article; “Speaking bluntly, [trainer] Ganbat said of [Mongolian] Groom, ‘This is not a great horse. This is a very good allowance horse. He’s not a very fast horse.'” So he puts him in the Breeders’ Cup Classic?!?…well of course he does because as Ganbat then continues in the article; “Ganbat laughed and said, ‘We’re just pushing him…go, go, please, we need the money!'” They NEEDED THE MONEY…
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/horse-racing/story/2019-08-14/tvg-pacific-classic-mongolian-stable-horse-racing-enebish-ganbat
So it’s obvious that no help from the D.A’s office will be forthcoming.
Very disappointing.
This statement released by the D.A,s office should make it clear to all of us, who oppose horse racing, that it’s going to be up to us, THE PEOPLE, to shut this down via ballots and political pressure.
“The District Attorney’s Office lacks legal jurisdiction to regulate the horse racing industry.”
Again, there are NO legal protections for these racehorses.
“Horse racing has inherent risks but is a legally sanctioned sport in California,”
In this statement, she adopts and accepts racehorses dying as part of the “sport.”
What I find particularly disturbing is that Ms. Lacey doesn’t even suggest an alternative approach to this business including it under our Felony Animal Cruelty laws.
All of her recommendations are nothing new.
This business has been giving us lip service, and public wallpaper for years and she has now augmented that.
It’s no secret that Ms. Lacey is up for re-election and Frank Stronach’s tentacles reach deep.
I’m calling on ALL animal rights groups, animal advocacy groups, animal lovers who oppose this to work TOGETHER (despite our differences), to ensure that horse racing is included on the 2020 ballot.
It’s obvious to me that PETA needs to stop sitting on the fence, use their enormous membership base in California to get this on the ballot and vote to BAN horse racing in California.
Now’s not the time for differences, but unity.
We, THE PEOPLE, will be the ones to shut this down.
Nobody should go to this track and support it or the Stronach family who is hell bent on facilitating the massive pain, suffering, and dying of racehorses.
With all their money and power imagine the good things they could do in this world.
Instead, they chose to promote, support, and facilitate the exploitation of sentient beings for profit and if that includes dying than so be it.
Disgusting.
Absolutely NOTHING has changed – nothing and the poor racehorses are paying the price.
Talks smack about the horse then smirks and kisses him on the nose. Is that supposed to make us look the other way after you sent that horse out TO DIE knowing full damn well he was lame and hurting? The disgusting hypocrisy of the racing industry knows no bounds. I wouldn’t say you’re a great human being. I wouldn’t even say you’re a good human being. At most you’re a waste of oxygen that has no regard for horses beyond making them “go, go, go” because “you need the money”. I look forward to the day that people like you are out on their ass on the streets because horse racing is gone and you don’t know how to do anything but suck the life out of innocent sentient beings.
We already have an overabundance of horse abusers without importing them. Shame on Mongolian Groom’s connections. And double shame on the those who should have scratched the gelding but instead allowed him to be sent to his death.
“And double shame on the those who should have scratched the gelding but instead allowed him to be sent to his death.” Rose Smith.
Exactly.
From a former industry insider I can tell you with 100% certainty that, most of the time, trainers, owners, and vets are completely complicit in a racehorse dying.
They know the issues going on with their racehorse, but choose to dope, and mask, their condition so that they can risk their life just one more time – just one more buck, let’s do it anyways.
Since they are never held accountable and since horse racing ethics are non-existent with no financial responsibility to the racehorse whom they maim there’s no deterrent to prevent them from doing it again and again and we see that with trainers who have a long history of killing racehorses, some under mysterious circumstances.
They can always hide behind their secret doping/vet/medical records, which are road maps leading up to their deaths and this industry (who supposedly cares – HaHa) fights hard to keep those records secret.
On one very rare occasion we saw the doping records of CORONADO HEIGHTS and these records were solid evidence of a racehorse in extreme pain with a chronic condition that was doped by trainer Todd Pletcher and it also showed how morally bankrupt Todd and all of them are including his owners Starlight Racing.
CORONADO HEIGHTS was yet another victim of Todd Pletcher when on 2/25/2012 he died during a race.
Leading up to this race Coronado Heights wasn’t performing for an owner who demands to compete in the highest levels – Coronado Heights was not filling their expectations (as if he needs to) and dies.
Like parasites, both Todd Pletcher and owners Starlight Racing were on to their next victims and there has been plenty more after this that has died under the legal care, custody, and control of “trainer” Todd Pletcher.
Behind their smiles and their “love them like family” campaigns are a bunch of sadistic racehorse abusers who don’t give a damn about risking their life and I would even go so far to say that they intentionally send them out to die because these people don’t like paying for racehorse upkeep once the racehorse is no longer able to flip a buck for them.
In fact, they detest taking care of a racehorse when they are done maiming them.
That’s the prevailing mentality in this business and we know that because racehorse rescue people like Joy Aten, Mary Johnson, Rose Smith and all of their rescue network have endless stories (some acknowledged on this site) of former racehorses dumped with serious physical conditions that this industry washes their hands of.
In my view, D.A. Ms. Lacey washed her hands of this entire issue leaning on her legal expertise as an out.
It’s reportedly being rumored that Frank Stronach commissioned his bevy of attorneys (all of which own racehorses, are involved with racehorse syndicates, bloodstock agents and run CA horse racing) to bombard Ms. Lacey with legal letters – can’t confirm, but makes sense to me.
What I’ve noticed since this announcement is that the pro-horse racing rhetoric is now missing all of their “reform” articles and their pledge to make changes for the races – all gone SILENT now.
Then an article claiming that there’s been a reduction in racehorses dying in California since the new rules have been implemented in March – demonstrably false on every account, but here’s their caveat:
“While more numbers are needed before declaring any statistical significance, to date the rate of catastrophic injury during racing at Del Mar, Los Alamitos Race Course, and Santa Anita Park is below the national average of 2018 (the most recent full season available).” pro-horse racing apologist and gambler Frank Angst.
Vile – all of it, I will continue to advocate and support the position of HRW to BAN horse racing.
Absolutely NOTHING has changed nor will it.
Racehorses will continue to die for these disgusting human beings.
But Rebecca! – don’t you KNOW? – that photo of Ganbat kissing Mongolian Groom on the nose is PROOF he loved that gelding! (where’s that PUKING emoji…)
Bonnie, I sometimes think of the filly, Ruffian, and that stupid Match Race against Foolish Pleasure. So called “Battle of the Sexes.” And you can bet your bottom dollar there was a great deal of interest. Ruffian broke down and did not survive the ordeal of surgery. This was an amazing horse. Should have quit then but I continued on with my folly. Have since abandoned the “game” and don’t even watch anymore. I see the end of days for horseracing. May be on borrowed time. Dog racing is almost kaput and the ponies may be next in line. We’ll see.
MAL,I hope your right.I was NEVER into horse racing until I fell madly in love with Afleet Alex. He was owned and raced by a family in my area where I live. As much as I love following his little kiddies and seeing them…for the GREATER good, I would have no qualms seeing it shut down. Again,it’s about what’s the MORAL thing to do,horses being robbed of their lives and in constant pain is pure evil. It’s animal abuse pure and simple and the apologists make me 🤮.
Greedy killers
In this business where there is absolutely NO protection for the horse and anti cruelty laws do not apply the lucky horses are the ones that are euthanized on the track. That sounds like a heartless thing to say but one has to consider what happens to the survivors.
After approximately 2 to 6 years of standing in a stall 23 of every 24 hours punctuated by overworking and injuries along with whipping, what is the future for these abused animals? Very few land in a good place after racing is through with them. The only “plan” racing has for the horse once he is no longer entered to race is to enter him into the slaughter pipeline culminating in a brutal and terrifying death. Some are dumped and are found starving to death. Many of those starved to death are never found. This is the future of the “retired” horse in his prime by normal age standards – death by slaughter or death by severe neglect and starvation.
It is obvious there will be no help to end this abomination other than grassroots activism. There is too much money involved.
No protection for the horses. Doesn’t that just say it all? Oh but they love them like family…..while sending the majority of them to SLAUGHTER and other HORRIFIC deaths. Nice people huh? Mike Joyce, Caton Bredar,and all the rest of you who don’t work a real job….get a life,all of you involved in this torture of innocents,get a REAL job. Oh, I forgot that would require work and effort and brain power—never mind.
How sad and pathetic a human being do you have to be to make your living off of torturing innocent animals? Everyone who is in this “business” needs to look their ugly-ass face in the mirror and say I am part of the problem. And that goes for ALL of you. From trainers to owners to photographers to broadcast people…You all have blood on your hands. How do you scumbags live with yourselves????????
Just a reminder guys…There’s FRIGID temperatures and Frozen ground right now,and these loser assholes are forcing horses with Fragile,Non-Developed bones to run as hard and fast as they can-recipe for HORRORS !! This should never be allowed!!! I hope these grotesque excuses of human beings ROT in hell.