Yesterday, according to Equibase, at Oaklawn Park (one of only five tracks open):
In the 2nd, Slovak “gave way in the far turn, pulled up, vanned off.”
In the 5th, Rockys Warrior “pulled up in apparent distress, vanned off.”
In the 7th, Midnight Sway “pulled up in apparent distress, vanned off.”
It’s a good bet that as I write at least one, if not all three, is dead. (I do have a FOIA request in to the notoriously uncooperative Arkansas Racing Commission. We’ll see.)
I simply have to say…..What the hell is wrong with those vets. at Oaklawn??????
What five tracks are still open? How can you tell if these horses are dead? I’m new to you’re website but very interested.
Horseracing commentators always say the horses like competition, they like the fight and they love to run, how could any of these people know exactly what a horse is thinking. The owners love the competition, the horses are made to compete, fight and run! In the end, it’s the horse that suffers not the owners or trainers, the horses are the ones that break legs, get painful laminitis, are fed drugs and suffer heart attacks! I pray for the day that a horses’ health and well-being will be the most important thing in horseracing!
Sharon, you always seem to adopt the reformist approach in your comments.
In this comment you end it with “I pray for the day that a horses’ health and well-being will be the most important thing in horseracing!”
No, no, no the ONLY solution is to END horse racing because the industry has never or will it ever place the health and welfare of racehorses over their billion dollar wagering profits.
What seems obvious to most, which you alluded to, is that racehorses don’t like to snap-off their bones while being beaten into the ground to run.
They don’t need to talk to tell me that.
With our current lockdown, I’ve been watching more TV. I was flipping the channels yesterday when I stopped at FSN and saw the #4 pull up in the stretch at Oak Lawn, 5th race. The announcer casually said the horse pulled up and he/she never crossed the wire. This horse was 2-1 betting favorite and it stopped. Horses, regardless of odds, enter or become damaged. The screen jumped immediately to Gulfstream, business as usual.
What’s interesting is the announcers wear business attire, commodity type industry and possibly funeral clothing for the deaths that lay ahead. Im glad, however, our current Prez values human life. Time for my clorox dipped brownies.
There was another one that “was never comfortable” Not This Time trained (tortured) by dirtbag Diodoro yesterday and one more of his Saturday, Big Bella Brown. They did finish but were pulled up and eased. The last one really hurt because I do love Big Brown who stands in New York. And I did send a message both times to the track on their contact form. If thousands of people sent messages they would do something. I”m so glad that Patrick is working on getting information from Arkansas which is a very backward place in terms of keeping track of horse injuries and deaths. Ray Paulick did contact Oaklawn (I don’t know who he talked to there) to discuss trainers keeping horses off the track grounds and shipping in for races. This is not permitted in California because it cannot be determined whether the horse entered has been dosed or shockwaved the same day it is to race ir the day before because there is no oversight at farms. I don’t know what the outcome of that inquiry was. Probably nothing. Change to upgrade horse safety is difficult because money has to be spent on personnel and equipment and procedures and that is never a good issue. There should be an outside entity which does this but that might be even more difficult. Right now I don’t even know if there are veterinarians at the gate to late scratch horses. In summary I believe Oaklawn will attempt to remedy these problems. But they are many years behind now so it might take a couple years to catch up. More information is coming out of there now so that is step 1 out of 100. One more thing: all cheap claiming races have to abolished. Anything under $50,000 has to be eliminated. That would effectively stop most racing everywhere.
Patrick, could you please send a FOIA for SHESHED?
RACE 6 – SHESHED – “stopped in the turn.”
Did not indicate whether she was “vanned-off,” but seems likely because a racehorse doesn’t “stop” for no reason.
Multiple racehorse killer “trainer” Bob Holthus.
“Stoppped” usually indicates pulmonary hemorrhage.
She, most likely, had blood pouring out of her nostrils, mouths and sometimes ears.
It beggars belief as to why this barbaric, and vile business still exists.
There are no justifications to keep this going – none.
They are paid by the horseracing industry in Arkansas to shut up and do what they are told to do by the owners and operators of Oaklawn would be my first guess, Bonnie. Whatever is wrong with anybody that can continually abuse and torture and treat horses like disposable gambling chips? They have to be morally depraved, vile individuals. They should all be under constant scrutiny and, even better, put in a jail cell and locked up!!!!!!!!! Everyone that abused these horses needs to be locked up!!!! The state and Federal governments should be revoking their licenses to practice veterinary medicine!!!!!!! The owners of Oaklawn should have their license to operate a racetrack revoked!!!!!!
You are so right Wanda. Unfortunately this industry proved beyond a reasonable doubt,that they are IMPOTANT,when it comes to protecting horses lives,Mongolian Groom,proved That beyond a REASONABLE doubt.They are sick parasites,lead by that dr. Larry Bramblege.Where the hell is bo derek ???,spoiled hollywood,self proclaimed “animal advocate”,where are you bo derek,you are on the California board…you spoiled fraud.
Oakland will do whatever they can to stay open. They are the only racetrack in the state. $$$$$$ Nothing else matters, but money. Can you smell greed!
I look forward to the DAY when no animals are EVER used by brain dead losers for their pathetic ‘entertainment’. I have a dream,you might say, in honor of the immortal freedom and rights fighter…..Dr. M.L.K. I really think that day of liberation WILL come.
This is not acceptable and they should be held accountable for allowing this tragedy.