How are all those “reforms” and new “safety protocols” working out, Santa Anita? Saturday, Chosen Vessel, five, snapped an ankle in the 9th race and, according to the track’s website, was subsequently euthanized at a hospital. Chosen Vessel is victim number nine at this besieged track – and we’re just two months in. So you see, last year was no anomaly, not here, not anywhere. Horseracing kills horses. Full stop.
Golden Birthday, Jan 1, Santa Anita R – “took a bad step” (broken leg)
Buckstopper Kit, Jan 7, Santa Anita S
Harliss, Jan 17, Santa Anita R – “fractured ankle”
Uncontainable, Jan 18, Santa Anita R – “fractured ankle”
Tikkun Olam, Jan 19, Santa Anita T – “head-on collision”
Double Touch, Feb 8, Santa Anita T – “sudden death” (five years old)
Miss Romania, Feb 12, Santa Anita T – “fractured shoulder”
Unveiled, Feb 20, Santa Anita T – “fractured shoulder”
Chosen Vessel, Feb 29, Santa Anita R – “fractured ankle”
And now there are TWENTY-ONE (21) horses who have died in just TWO (2) months so far this year on racetracks in the state of California.
The carnage continues….
down they go in the dirt suffering horrific injuries and cruel deaths.
And on the Masino racing stables website, there is this: “2020 February 29 update: Chosen Vessel received a DNF in the 9th race at Santa Anita….”
He RECEIVED a broken limb and death! And this was all the warmth and concern they could muster on their website!
Masino Racing stables advertises themselves as a fractional ownership stable where an owner can “experience the thrills” of racehorse ownership. Such thrills! They have quite a few more horses in their stables so there are already others entered to race and replace Chose Vessel after he “RECEIVED” his DNF.
What does DNF stand for?
I find this so sad. Isn’t racing called “The Sport of Kings”? What is so sporting about horse racing when every time there is a race a horse dies on the track? Isn’t someone going to put a stop to this? Someone posted here that there have been 21 horses that have died on various tracks in California since Jan 1st. The owners/trainers don’t seem to care about the horses; just the money they will bring in if they place. Please stop these senseless killings of these beautiful animals.
DNF = is an acronym for DID NOT FINISH.
This means that the racehorse was in such physical, emotional and/or mental distress that it was unable to finish the race on their own volition.
Most often a DNF is followed by a “vanned-off” comment.
A racehorse who DNF is one in grave condition, most are subsequently euthanized, but some live to be abused and raced another day.
Many racehorses who die on the track have at least 1 DNF in their race record, but these abusers continue to subject them to this vile business.
Means did not finish
Megan, it is a chartwriter’s abbreviation for Did Not Finish.
I can see from the articles that there is no compassion for the animals who are making large sums of money for the owners.
There now need to be a law banning horse racing in the United States immediately!!!
Contact Gavin Newsom’s office and let them know the Governor needs to shut down horse racing in California. He said he was horrified by the horse deaths last year and did zero as far as I know. He needs to feel some pressure.
I think things are actually getting WORSE…Why is even one death acceptable??? Answer is it’s NOT!!!! Abuse of Animals is a sin,and these idiots perpetuating this evil will not be making it into the desired place, hey, maybe where they go they’ll be forced to race.
STOP THIS ANIMAL CRUELTY NOW!!! WHY DO WE SACRIFICE BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND MONETARY GREED??? SHAME ON YOU! GOVERNOR NEWSOM, DO SOMETHING!!!
Stop horse racing period. It is abusive to horses. Where is Pelosi??????
She’s a federal official, not state.
Yes…..this is NO anomaly!! Looking forward off to another record breaking year of cruelty of horse breaking down on this track and dying! How sad and tragic…,The owners don’t care…, they’re collecting large sums of insurance after their horse is urbanized!!! ( hope everyone knows this fact). That’s why this keeps on keeping folks!
It’s time to close Santa Anita permanently. Their record is horrible!
An important point I want to make is…our country is headed most likely to another big financial collapse, this will really bring horse racing to it’s long overdue end. THINK about it!!!!!!!!!
So disgusted with this gambling sport for money!
We must PROTECT these magnificent creatures STOP THE CRUELTY NOW RESPECT ALL ANIMALS
Trainer of CHOSEN VESSEL – Craig Dollase the usual past record of racehorses dying under his care, custody, and control.
The adoption of “reforms “ by Santa Anita to save their boiling asses is too late – their done.
I truly believe that had the CHRB and all California tracks adopted strict protocols around doping, severe repercussions for cheaters (including Teflon Bob) and a total BAN on shock wave therapy they would not be dealing with this high level of carnage.
Back in 2005, while on the CHRB, a small group of us were labeled “radical” “extremists “ for demanding these protocols and changes.
Now I admit that reforms, if implemented, would not stop the killings, but probably would have greatly reduced them.
Nevertheless, back in 2005 there was 1 major deference between then and now: the public showed little interest in racehorses dying and the wagering coffers were being filled so the industry had no impetus to change.
It was business as usual and they maliciously attacked those of us demanding changes – myself included.
Just look at the scathing personal attack on me in the L.A Times (2006) so it doesn’t surprise me that they won’t publish HRW’s editorials now when Patrick submits them.
They seem to be a management tool for the California horse racing industry and their respective apologists and not a “free press.”
Nevertheless, the horse racing business there can pull out their “full stops,” it doesn’t matter.
The truth will prevail and the truth is horse racing kills racehorses – en masse.
And the Times’ John Cherwa is calling this a “dramatic decrease in fatalities…in the wake of safety reforms by the Stronach Group.”
Oh well. At least he’s starting to acknowledge the reduction of horses and races at the Santa Anita Death Track. Maybe he’ll start calling THOSE decreases “dramatic” as well. Baby steps.
Things would change very quickly if the dead athletes were jockeys rather than horses. There is no difference and SHOULD be no less value in the athlete.
Horse racing kills horses. It needs to stop.
Seems to me there isn’t a month that goes by by that we hear of horses that die on race tracks. Obviously the owners of these beautiful animals only care about the money that they make. What a shame to see how callous these people are and that nothing is done to prevent these horrible accidents from happening. Those of us that feel the pain and the resentment towards these people can only continue to stand up for the horses rights. We must not stop until there is a change and there will be if we continue to voice our opinions! We must be the voice of these beautiful horses!
Not to try and steal away Santa Anita’s glory or anything, but any news about Montauk Memories at Aqueduct yesterday?
From what the chart said it doesn’t sound good at all. I’m sad to hear this,because I took notice of this horse a few back,when I heard the name,in the 80’s-90’s I spent summers in Montauk at my Aunt’s house on the bay. So that’s how I know of which horse you speak of. I hope he makes it.
Thanks, Bonnie. I hope he does too. Not real clear on NY reporting rules, but it happened well before Chosen Vessel’s fatal breakdown, way over on the other coast, and there’s some buzz about him on Twitter. The way he was forced to finish the race injured(!) sounds even more disgusting than usual. I’m confident Patrick will come through with the facts.
Kelly, maybe the much-touted NYRA’s Safety and Integrity Team can look into the blatant abuse of MM since they boast about their “‘boots-on-the-ground’ strategy in seeing to the welfare of the horses” (hope you hadn’t just sipped a beverage – because I’m pretty sure it’s on the wall now…).
I think we should all give them a call.
LOL, Joy. These days, I know better than to take a drink of anything before reading or watching racing propaganda. The NYRA’s “Boots” strategy sounds suspiciously similar to all of the other, entirely ineffectual systems that all add up to nothing more than catchphrases.
Oh, and I replied to the NYRA right after they Tweeted out a promotion for that VERY RACE. They were apparently proud of the TV coverage, and actually urged viewers to tune in! Pretty tone-deaf, right? So, I mocked them about promoting their own “breakdown race” and how MM was visibly injured, yet forced to finish “to collect the last check.” No reply, but the WHOLE POST mysteriously disappeared off their Twitter page. I wonder if deleting their own public news releases is part of their “Boots on the Ground” strategy;)
I was just thinking it was a race I saw in July of 2017,where a barely 3yr.old gelding who I knew,was racing along the rail,and you could see by his leg action,he had “gone wrong” as the heartless idiots say,the damn jockey kept whipping him mercilessly to the finish line,even though he had broke his left leg about halfway through the race. It was one of the cruelest most sickening things I’ve ever seen. From that day forward I just knew I had to get involved. We should be a CIVILIZED society.
I watch my grandfather race horses and never ever lost a horse. This was so long ago . What is the difference from then to now. Drugging the horses, feeding right before they race. Know they are not in good health. So many reasons.
THIS PETITION SHOULD ALSO INCLUDING BANNING HORSERACING AS THAT IS ABUSE AS WELL
PLEASE SHARE:
The Tennessee Legislature is considering a bill that should be passed across the nation. House Bill 1643 would ban “anyone convicted of animal cruelty, abuse or other offenses against animals from owning a companion animal for at least two years after their conviction.” Although two years is a short time period and animal abusers should never again be able to be charged with the care of an animal, it’s still a way of preventing them being able to harm more animals.
As this petition states, if this bill is passed and made law in Tennessee, it will set the precedent for the rest of the nation.
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/petition-ban-animal-abusers-from-owning-pets/
This is horrible. I cannot believe this continues. ABUSE!!!!! WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP THIS ABUSE! Abusing horses for greed and entertainment. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. I thought we had an “animal abuse” law in this country. I guess not – if you have money on a horse race. Disgusting!!!!!
This is no sport! The barbaric days of the Roman Empire and it’s cruel games expired many decades ago. Human empathy towards Mother Nature’s creations must evolve.