The California Horse Racing Board has disclosed the training death (“shoulder”) of 4-year-old Unveiled this morning at Santa Anita. The colt was being prepped for his first race. He is the 8th horse killed at Santa Anita in 2020 – for, mind you, gambling and entertainment. This alone renders their (specious) “safety rate” utterly meaningless.
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Supposedly, the groom is the person who knows the condition of the horse better than the trainer (or second trainer, if applicable) or owner/s or veterinarian/s and should alert the second trainer, or if there is no second trainer, the trainer/s. So much for safety protocols. This ugly business needs to be shut down as soon as possible! Ban horseracing!
Thank you for explaining what the groom should know.
The carnage continues unabated and those who have the power to intervene do NOTHING!
How broken must this poor colt have been if he suffered a catastrophic injury while being “prepped” for his FIRST race?
Yet, his “connections” never gave a damn. Prep him and kill him… on to your next victim.
Great reforms, Belinda Stronach! Congrats!
Despicable human beings!!
I know. Imagine the injury that must have happened.
UNVEILED – another dead racehorse “unveiled” yet again and why hasn’t this track been shut down?
Okay, so they all should be shut down, but let’s start with this hell hole and death trap.
There is every indication that UNVEILED is owned by these parasites:
https://www.manta.com/d/mby8212/mayberry-farm
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/229910/mayberry-farm-balances-shifting-industry-demands
https://www.facebook.com/Mayberryfarmocala/
Unveiled was purchased for $575,000 at the Keenland Yearling sale.
Again, we have no idea what was wrong with this colt, if anything, or if he sustained an injury that would have rendered him valueless under his, most likely, equine insurance policy.
The reason why we don’t know is because they keep their doping/vet/treatment records secret.
It seems reasonable that there were some issues going on based on the fact that this colt was started on at a very early age, probably around 18 months, long before his muscoskeletal system is developed.
It’s actually cruel, abusive, and inhumane to start breaking a horse at such a young age, but the goal is to get them earning and qualifying for The Kentucky Derby and/or for high profile stake races especially when they are spending $575,000.
Furthermore, the Mayberry’s specialize in pinhooking which is a BUY, FLIP to DUMP scheme built on the backs and lives of horses who are exploited for a short period of time (the shorter the better) and than flipped for more money.
These people have no intention of taking care of these disposable commodities as they are merely a way to flip a buck by getting rid of them.
It’s highly probable UNVEILED was insured and all the metrics seem to indicate a cash-out.
Did UNVEILED have issues that would render him valueless unless he died?
We will never know.
Gina,this one has possible insurance motive? High priced,didn’t make it to races,for triple crown races etc.,just NOW being prepped ,I don’t know,sounds suspicious to me,they had to have had an insurance policy. What say you,Gina?
To Bonnie and all those who don’t think I’m a crazy lady by commenting on equine insurance payout.
I want to clear something up right away.
Only about 10% of racehorses are insured.
Any horse that is purchased for 6 figures or more are almost always insured.
A thoroughbred with a “royal” pedigree (according to the industry although they all count) plus a high price is almost always insured.
So if there was an equine insurance policy in place it would have been for $575,000 when Unveiled died.
All tracks don’t disclose whether a racehorse has an equine insurance policy although I’ve seen vets on occasion write it down in their notes upon or just after euthanization.
These notes are forwarded to the office and can be scrubbed to decrease public scrutiny.
Every single metric concerning Unveiled points to and supports these suspicions/allegations because that’s all they are and we will probably never know unless the D.A’s office investigates.
After their very disappointing report I hardly doubt that these alleged racehorse killers will ever be brought to justice and, yet again, another racehorse dies for this vile business and the vile parasites that linger within.
Anybody who attends the next CHRB meeting should ask: “Did Unveiled have an equine insurance policy in place?” Okay so you probably won’t get an answer of an answer that they don’t know, but at least it will raise concern in the very least.
Don’t forget horse racing is a business with the profits a priority over the health and welfare of the racehorses despite their claims that contradict this.
Their actions, policies and daily business practices makes it very clear where their priorities lie.
There are no reforms that will change this and like any other business that exploits animals – it’s the animals that almost always lose and it’s the “extremists” who are compassionate enough to save them when and if we can.
I agree that anyone who can afford to buy a racehorse for $575,000 certainly could afford to pay the insurance premiums on said horse. Most of the 98% of the human population in the United States could not qualify for a 30-year mortgage to buy a house for $575,000. I agree with your assumption that these people most likely did have an insurance policy on 4-year-old UNVEILED. If anyone were to file a legal action, they obviously would need to show documented proof to the prosecutor and the judge to prove that there was foul play in the death of UNVEILED for the purpose of recuperating funds to cover said losses. At the same time, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the whole foundation of the Thoroughbred horse racing industry is based on a very flawed concept; starting their training and racing as babies and using them as gambling chips.
Thanks for the additional info, Gina!
April Mayberry… just looking at her picture makes me squirm! Assistant to Bob Baffert she proudly “brags”… ‘nough said…oh, she had plenty to learn from her despicable mentor. The entire profile of her disgusting Mayberry Farms is questionable… 1 employee?? Revenue of just over $100,000??!! Hmmm…not a successful business by any means… simply parasites. Disgusting!
I appreciate your analysis based on your insider knowledge.
You know Santa Anita is circling the drain when even John Cherwa won’t use their made-up “safety” statistics.
But I’m sure the CHRB will continue to bend over backwards to NOT invoke SB 469:
“Only eight dead? Eh, let’s let the pile of dead horses grow into the triple digits before we do anything drastic, like perform our explicit duty and protect these horses’ lives.”
Bet they felt awfully uncomfortable at today’s public meeting when only they knew Unveiled was dead.
Kelly, you’ve got that right about Cherwa. And I hope the board members present at the public meeting were uncomfortable – but I don’t think they care enough to have their consciences’ pricked…that they can exclaim “humans die in car accidents everyday” in defense of killing horses for betting entertainment tells me they have no conscience.
Okay, you got me there, Joy! Still, no doubt their soulless bodies were squirming in their cushy chairs as they knew of what was about to become another front-page, breaking, top story event. Yet they just can’t grasp WHY.
Here’s a helpful hint for the CHRB (and all of horse racing, really):
PSSSST: It’s not 1907 anymore! Pass it on.
What do people dying in car accidents have to do with underdeveloped horses being systematically killed on racetracks? That’s like a murderer comparing his victims to people who drown in their own bathtub. I realize that the racing industry has no credible excuses for the catastrophic injuries and deaths of their horses, but can’t they come up with something that isn’t a complete insult to anyone with a modicum of intelligence?
Rebecca,
No, they cannot come up with a valid excuse for killing horses in horseracing because there is no valid excuse for killing horses in horseracing. They are depraved, degenerate and derelict in their responsibility to take care of and protect their own horses and diverting attention to something that is not valid or relevant to exercising intelligent responsibility of caring for their own horses is expectable for a depraved, degenerate, derelict mentality.
What a shameless, despicable statement that board member(s) made, and it is even more upsetting because they know that they are saying that the lives of these animals are theirs to put at risk of injury and death. “Because they are doing what they love.” Etc.
Kelly. They probably just shrugged their shoulders and said ” Oh well”
Hmmm…Unveiled, a Keeneland 2017 September Yearling purchase for $575K – and not one race yet at 4 years old.
This horse cost over half $million as a yearling,
did not race at 2
did not race at 3
did not race at 4
Did not race at all
The question is why ?
The answer appears to be that this young equine had a health issue otherwise they would’ve raced him at 2 then at 3 then at 4 years of age, however, all that money outlaid not only for his purchase but also for maintaining him, training, vet fees etc. over a long period.
Therefore this investment had to come good one way or another.
So they continued with this poor thing knowing he had a health issue until he broke down and died.
Insurance policies are always taken out on expensive yearlings like Unveiled – got to get their money back in case he’s a fizzer.
You mongrel bastards.
It sounded odd to me, too!
Unbelievably cruel. Perhaps a boycott for the companies that supply Santa Anita is in order as well.
Why does this keep happening? It is disgraceful. And those responsible should be ashamed.It is all about the money and greed. Innocent horses should not have to suffer for it. Why can’t someone with a conscience put a stop to this???
I agree. I want Karma to punish these so-called humans for using horses for dangerous profits to pad their pocketbooks. SHAME ON THEM!!! I am against all forms of things that use animals to make money for profit because it ALWAYS ENDS that these animals face abuse and cruelty. These people need to get a REAL JOB where they work from 9 to 5, put their backs into it, and learn a lesson on humanity. Using others for profit whether it’s animals or humans is WRONG!!! STOP THE ABUSE/CRUELTY NOW!!!!
GOVERNOR NEWSOM PLEASE STOP HORSERACING NOW!!! THIS IS ANIMAL CRUELTY!!!
Disgusting and shameful.
This is so abhorrent. It’ll about money. It doesn’t matter how many horses die as long as people
make money. These are heartless, immoral people. There’s a special place in hell for these folks.
SHUT DOWN HORSERACING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I feel the same way I think horse racing should be banned
The horse racing industry, steeped in an ugly legacy of exorbitant gambling and obscene wealth, has clearly been exposed as a blood sport. The nest of secrets has been blown open and exposed. Voracious human greed and lust for entertainment are on display for all to see in a harsh new light. While Santa Anita Park has recently become the lightning rod for calls for reform (or closure), this facility is far from alone in its immoral exploitation of horses. Changes in the racetrack surface are just a fig leaf covering the greater horrors of drugging horses into numb submission. Don’t believe the smoke and mirror show. This industry is now obsolete and blatantly unethical. Its days are numbered. The clock is ticking toward the closure of all animal racetracks—forever.
What is wrong with this place how can animals be dying so frequently for goodness sake something must be done
BAN this horrible sport…for $$$$$ it is sick!
If the insurance company required an autopsy before they would pay out, it might act as a deterrent to killing horses (although they would likely then end up in the slaughter pipeline). Just imagine what autopsies would disclose! And if there are multiple cases of questionable deaths the insurance companies could charge much higher rates and/or refuse to insure those who use questionable methods. Where are the insurance stockholders demanding accountability for payouts? If compassion and lack of humane treatment doesn’t move them to take action, maybe the impacts on their bottom line might?
Irene,
I believe that it is standard procedure for any insurance company to do a thorough investigation before a determination is made. In the case of horses, especially racehorses, it would be a necropsy. Necropsies are done on dead horses from Santa Anita Park by the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine to the best of my knowledge. However, I do not know if they do necropsies on every dead horse from Santa Anita. I assume they do. May I stand corrected, if I am wrong? I’m sure someone else more knowledgeable on this topic could add more to my comment.
Sooooooo wrong!! Santa Anita must be closed to prevent the heartless, pointless & really criminal death of so many horses…their record in clamping down on harmful treatment is horrendous!!😡😡😫
Time to recall Scott Blasi’s comments on horses he called “rats”. Blasi, asst. To S. ASSMUSSEN, was heard saying he was so happy he “could do a f****** cartwheel” when one of their horses broke down in a claiming race but was claimed away….this was all on tape and recorded. Is Newsom giving a little more time so trainers can break down some under performing but expensive horses for the insurance money? Just a business? Putrid mentality
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Bo Tiegs, I watched that video on YouTube. It clearly shows how depraved and degenerate that the “winning” trainer, Steve Asmussen, and his assistant trainer, Scott Blasi, are as they make “a living” in the horseracing industry.
Wanda, two of the trainers who I’ve never liked-Bob baffert and Steve ass. I know it’s not “correct” to say this,but…the two of them look like used car salesmen.
Bonnie,
When I saw the picture of Steve Asmussen in the report online some weeks ago about some drug violations he committed in 2018, I think he looks like he could be demon possessed. He looks like he could be the devil himself. Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen could both write a cheaters’ and horse abusers’ guide to achieving “Hall of Fame” status. The correct name is HALL OF SHAME to anyone who cares that horses should not be run to their deaths or abused at all.
Race 1 just now horse goes “wrong” it looked like…hopping around funny. We’ll have to see.
Los Al, race 1 to clarify
Radio Tim , was the poor souls name,born 2017, lost life for bottom barrel 2,500 and here’s the kicker..he was claimed. VILE
IT JUST HAPPENED AGAIN. Horse Killing Monsters at Los Al.
I can’t even look at those horrors, Bonnie. I get physically ill just being in a room where there’s a live race being broadcast. But I read your post, and checked the chart. Yep. Add Radio Tim to today’s THREE OTHER KNOWN breakdowns/van-offs: Aqueduct, Fair Grounds NOLA, and some crappy Nebraska hole called “Fonner” on its Opening Day.
I swear these racing creeps are getting worse. They’re killing off more horses, in more gruesome ways, than ever before. I shudder to think of the carnage they’ll manage to inflict this weekend:(
EXACTLY,Kelly…and they forced those babies to race on that frozen dirt of ny, who didn’t see that coming?!!!!Duh. Unformed bones,pounding on rock hard frozen ground !!!!!!!!! These assholes are morons,that shows you that they NEVER cared,if they’re willing to do that to babies. VILE
If you wanna place a bet guaranteed to win bet that more horses will die at Santa Anita.
Kelly,you know…I wouldn’t have even seen Radio Tim breakdown,if my show McGuyver…hadn’t been so boring last night. I literally just had tuned in to tvg,and right away I see the “incident”. He was in for a tag of 2,500…bargain basement. VILE
Bonnie. I had Hawaii 5 0 on so did not flip to TVG like normal. Can not tell you the amount oftimes I”ve done that and ended up seeing a sad incident. And also my beloved AP Indy passed yesterday.
Just curious – does anybody know if the newspaper in L.A covered this death?
I sincerely hope that they are “onto them,” and that they continue to publish the deaths to increase public awareness that has been deceived on a grand scale for years.
A huge shout out to Patrick, supporters of HRW, and Lady Freethinker for putting up the billboard in L.A.
It looks amazing.
So sorry for all racehorses who have died and will continue to suffer and die for this unnecessary gambling venue.
Yes, Gina. The Los Angeles Times had John Cherwa do a piece on Unveiled’s death, as has become routine since “Santa Anita Horse Deaths” have dominated the headlines for a year now. In addition, every local TV news outlet featured it (except for the NBC affiliate, for some reason;).
I’m waiting for news of last night’s two breakdowns/van-offs at Los Alamitos. It seems they only ran FOUR thoroughbred races at Los Al last night, yet TWO of those were marred by tragedy. Once again, they prove that Santa Anita is in “good” company when it comes to maiming and mangling racehorses.
Kelly,
Thank you for keeping us up to date on the reporting by John Cherwa. Letters to the editor (of any newspaper) would most likely be published as long as they are submitted within the guidelines of the newspaper.
Wanda Diamond, I looked at Unveiled’s bloodline and saw nothing there worth $575,000.00 as a yearling. Not even close. He would have to be sired by Mr. Prospector himself and AP Indy as broodmare sire and Tom Rolfe, Secretariat, Majestic Prince… thrown in as grandfather a few times to have me warrant that chunk of change (and that can’t happen). What was really going on there? I would like to see a photo of this golden unicorn. This had to be a scam from the start. “Shoulder injury”…2″x4″x8′. Who’s the Commissioner of Insurance for California? That’s a huge payout. What warranted that coverage in the first place? I can buy $1M coverage on my house, but it only takes $100K to replace it!! I know they go on expected earnings, stud fees, etc. but there is NOTHING THERE.
All of your questions are valid questions, Beth Merrill, and I don’t know the answers.