The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has confirmed the death of Rock n’ Candy in the 4th at Turfway December 5:
“The gelding pulled up lame post-race and the attending KHRC veterinarian summoned the ambulance. KHRC veterinarians administered a sedative/analgesic to assist in loading onto the horse ambulance and to minimize further injury. The gelding was transported to his barn and after consulting with the private veterinarian the decision was made to euthanize him due to a poor prognosis.”
Necropsy Report:
“The proximal left hind limb was swollen, with a large amount of subcutaneous hemorrhage extending from the left pelvis to the stifle. There was marked tearing of the musculature surrounding the left hemi-pelvis, with a complete fracture of the left ilium. There was severe, extensive ulceration of the stomach.”
Rock n’ Candy was just five years old. Vile. Horseracing.
If these serial-horse-abusers-and-killers were arrested today and charged with the crimes they are guilty of and prosecuted, it would not be too soon!
Rock n’ Candy deserved much better than this. May he rest in peace. 💔
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
Rock n’ Candy, what a sad short life. Suffering constant pain from “severe extensive ulceration of the stomach” while standing in a stall or being whipped to run faster until you were “loaded” on to a van with a horrific injury. Death by euthanasia gave you the peace you never knew in life.
This is a criminal enterprise !!
Shut it down.
CRIMINAL enterprise!!!!!!!! That says it all. Come on people this is the systemic TORTURING of beautiful ANIMALS. I wish it was YOU Apologists being Tortured instead. You a..holes are sick soulless monsters. Get a F’n life, you losers.
This is so disgusting, why is it that no one knew about the horse’s internal problem. I can only imagine the pain this horse went through, doesn’t anyone care about the whole horse, mentally and physically!
With an injury of this nature I have a hard time believing his prognosis wasn’t already crystal clear on the track – once again the racing industry wants to try to hide the shit on its face by forcing a critically injured horse to load into a trailer and endure further torment just to cover up the dirty deed back at the barn. I’m sure between the injury and the sedatives, getting him in and out of the trailer was horrific, and to go through all this just to wind up dumped in a dirt pit for the removal services is disgusting. And still the apologists are whining: “What will happen to the horses if racing shuts down?”
Look what’s happening to them NOW.
The “ private veterinarian” was quick to euthanize the Poor soul but where the F**K were these corrupt vets when they were supposed to diagnose his condition?? And maybe, just maybe could have saved him?? Yeah, we all know they were nowhere to be found because no one in this disgusting industry gives a shit about the horses. Criminals! All of them! Put them in chains and lock them all up!
Exactly Andrea-Where the hell were the vets when this poor dear soul had all these issues and maladies (OF WHICH ALL WERE SERIOUSLY LIFE THREATENING) These Innocent souls never have kindness and peace in their short lives. These god’s creatures live a life of living hell on earth,but you’ll have the pathetic losers taking pictures and saying “see,they’re loved like family”. I want to throw-up on these brain-dead scumbags.
From an insiders view who was in the business for a long time: 1. the private vets were most likely well aware of Rock n’ Candy’s ulcers, and often recommend treatment, but it’s ultimately up to the owner/trainer to order the treatment because they pay for it. 2. More often than not racehorses are denied needed vet treatment throughout their life as a racing slave especially in the claiming ranks and this is when they need it the most 3. The vet records are kept PRIVATE so nobody ever knows what exactly is going on with any given racehorse at any given time
Rock n’ Candy was claimed the very first time out where he started at Woodbine. He was claimed by one of the most notorious abusive claiming owners in the business, Bruno Schickedanz, who has a long history of claiming, using, abusing, dumping and killing racehorses not unlike Patricia Farro.
That’s his modus operandi for the most part and it’s perfectly legal under this widespread legitimized cruelty.
What he did to WAKE AT NOON was outright egregious racehorse abuse beyond description.
It still breaks my heart to think about what he decided to do with his champion racehorse who was sent back into training at 12 years old after making millions for this ungrateful asshole.
For most of his races Rock n’ Candy was owned by Bruno Schickedanz and trained by Norm McNight and then he shows up under a different owner/trainer so a private sale took place after he was no longer performing for them and probably after they knew they had squeezed him dry and/or knew he has serious health issues.
True to form, Bruno hardly ever retires any of the racehorses he claims and dumps and it seems reasonable to assume that Bruno was well aware of his painful existing ailments and did little to nothing about it.
Speaking to his previous trainers they would often rumor that Bruno was like that, he didn’t like spending money for their well-being and only liked them when they were winning, bringing in the money.
I suppose he’s not unlike any of the other parasites because this is horse racing.
Having read other horror stories on “Horseracing Wrongs”, this one makes me particularly horrified (and tearful) simply because of the description of such agonizing suffering endured by Rock n’ Candy and the knowledge that it was all expected, and one would have to say, even PLANNED by all involved in the wretched life of this victimized horse.
Gina Powell’s testimony, based on her experience in the industry, about the long time owner and trainer, is utterly damning. “Diabolical” is the word for those involved in decisions around Rock n’ Candy’s terrible life. If only such horses had never been born. For what reason other than to be tortured to death?
The story of what was done to this horse, with all the details, and the identities of the people involved ought to be the main story in the sports pages of all major papers and announced in all other media outlets, including TV network news. (Actually, this story deserves page one in the general news. Let the public know what goes on, for heaven’s sake!)
Here’s the story on champion racehorse WAKE AT NOON.
This story has been prefaced by an apology (due to the relentless pressure from Bruno Schickedanz’s attorneys whom I’m sure he spent lots of money in fees, but didn’t like to pay for a horse that was sitting in his paddock on his farm and everybody knew this because he said this all the time).
Don’t let the apology fool you because all it’s addressing is the “rule” that was supposedly broken only to find out there wasn’t a “rule” in place for shipping in a 12 year old horse for a workout.
Nevertheless, read the story and it’s heartbreaking and this asshole is still getting tons of stalls at Woodbine is welcome anywhere he races including PARX and all PA tracks given this horrific issue.
Of course their “investigation” led to nowhere and a slap on the wrist except for enacting a “rule.”
https://www.thestar.com/sports/2010/06/29/wake_at_noon_13_dies_on_woodbine_track.html
Bruno claims that he would pat him every day – what an outright horrible human being, evil to the core.
There are no words, but there are plenty Bruno’s on the tracks abusing racehorses every day and these racehorses have no neutral legal protections under the laws, which makes it so egrecious.
WAKE AT NOON – so sorry that you were owned by a life sucking parasitic leech that derives joy, it seems, out of abusing, dumping and killing racehorses. Even almost 2 million dollars WASN’T ENOUGH to take care of you.
ROCK N’ CANDY was owned by racehorse abuser Bruno Schickedanz and just to add to this abuse is his trainer, Norm McKnight, that got caught applying shock wave therapy to a racehorse prior to a race – got caught red-handed right in the stall and is STILL TRAINING!
So you can pretty well conclude that these 2 legal gangsters were applying doping, shock wave therapy and everything but the kitchen sing to Rock N’ Candy to get him to flip a buck and the, true to form, dumped him probably knowing that he was on the verge of dying.
Bruno, there’s a special place in hell for people like you.
I read it, the story on “Wake at Noon”. These two men demonstrate why we shouldn’t be at all surprised, or say it is uncommon when you hear about atrocities committed by the more publicized human torturers of humans and non-humans worldwide and throughout history. I am in total agreement with this principle : Anytime an animal is used for profit, to make money, or for prestige or competition, they are at very high risk of abuse. And the door is wide open for people, like this cited owner and trainer who are especially ruthless and horrifyingly cruel and who will squeeze dry that animal, mercilessly, for personal gain. These animals are all slaves. They are sometimes referred to as “athletes “. An athlete is normally someone who is voluntarily engaged in a sport. These animals are not, and, if left alone would more often than not want rest. And be allowed to be the free agents of their bodies. But, IMO, such cruelties to all animals will completely cease only when the full rights of animals to their own lives will be universally recognized. Atrocities to horses have been allowed because the culture thinks animals are “owned”. That’s how it always starts. But, humans are guardians, not owners.