The 5th at Los Alamitos Friday was 2-year-old Equilibrio’s first time under the whip. It was also his last. On Equibase, he was “injured, pulled up”; at Los Al, “injured” almost always means dead. And indeed he is, as confirmed in an email from the CHRB: “This horse was euthanized.” “This horse” is the 25th dead one at that track this year.
Meanwhile, the Belmont kill-machine keeps humming, too. Yesterday morning, the Chad Brown-trained Option Value “sustained injury while breezing, [was] vanned off and euthanized.” He was three and had been raced once, way back in August of last year at Saratoga. Not to be outdone, Belmont now stands at 26 killed.
That’s 51 dead racehorses at just two tracks, in this, a covid-contracted year. Reform is a lie. To stop this carnage, horseracing must end. To effect that, we must apply unrelenting pressure on the powers that be.
California:
Governor Newsom
Senator Feinstein
Senator Harris
California state legislators
New York:
Governor Cuomo
Senator Schumer
Senator Gillibrand
NYS Senators
NYS Assemblymembers
Patrick, if you didn’t report these kills on this site, I would have no idea that there are so many horses killed so often. I don’t follow horseracing in the ways that a lot of people do. I don’t know how some people can be so sadistic and barbaric. They are just evil people and will continue to kill horses no matter what, so there will never be a time when enough is enough for these most greedy, evil people. #Endhorseracing
**Two more tragic and horrible deaths to read on a Sunday morning!!!! Thank you Patrick, for posting and keeping the pressure on. I don’t follow or watch horseracing no more ,either. Yes, will write more emails. I will sleep better tonight knowing I am helping the only way I can. R.I.P. ‘EQUILIBRIO’ and ‘OPTION VALUE’, my love, tears and prayers go with you..
Thank you, Marjorie.
Patrick, late last night I read that Midnightcharly was “put in a protective hold” at Belmont during a stakes race yesterday. He’s a popular local chestnut gelding based at Parx. I pray he’s ok, hopefully,you’ll be able to find out some information. Thank you
Bonnie. It was race 9 yesterday
I just watched NYRA replays. It did not look like there was a major problem with him
No leg or fall problem. Of course I am no expert but hopefully this helps you rest a little.
Thank you Nancy, I didn’t see your post til now. I have had a VERY hectic past several days. I sure as hell don’t want to see NY kill another chestnut, who came from Parx!!!!!!! Enough!, of that bullshit. Midnightcharly,and his full brother Midtowncharlybrown, are real ‘staples’ at Parx. Thank you,again 🙏😇
At what point is an investigation warranted ? This is out of control even by California standards. Also, is there any way to find out if the horse was insured and whom the beneficiary might be ? An FYI – There’s an interesting article on Bloodhorse.com about saving horse racing.
The time for investigations has long since passed. Horseracing must end.
Also, re the above article, my name is Rick Bowman. Not sure why all of that other stuff is coming up.
I totally. totally agree Patrick !!!
Those that can stop this do not care. It’s all about the dollars this brings into the respective states. The only way this will stop is if the idiots stop betting and the money dries up. The politicians could care less what happens to the beautiful animals.
I agree Steve – it is all about greed! Racing needs to end now! Deep pockets need to dry up!
It costs most states a significant amount of money to keep racing going.
Option Value yet another victim of multiple racehorse killer Chad Brown.
They call them “trainers,” but really they are killers.
Option Value was a $210,000 buy at Keeneland by owners Klaravich Stables (KS).
KS has a long history of expensive racehorse purchases dropping dead when they don’t perform.
Putting Option Value back into training, after his poor first performance, would have kept the equine insurance policy active because he most likely had one in place for the price purchased.
It’s demonstrably noticeable that the huge racing stable of Chad Brown has shrunk in size considerably since he was found guilty of not paying his stable workers which subsequently led to a huge settlement for his workers.
Now that Chad Brown has to follow labor laws like all New York businesses he’s not so active anymore although he’s still actively killing racehorses.
Isn’t it funny when they have to follow the rules, like everybody else, they can’t cut it?
We know for damn sure if horse racing wasn’t getting billions in casino handouts and/or taxpayers money that it wouldn’t be open and there isn’t any other business in this country that gets direct casino profits to keep another business going.
This is total contrary to the Free Market economy of the USA.
“Investigations” and “reforms” are both public wallpaper and lip service designed to convince the unsuspecting public that everything will be okay.
It’s not okay and never will be.
The only thing that’s okay is when this business shuts down and is put in the history books .
Thank you, Gina, for that condensed biography of Chad Brown, trainer and horse-killer. I saw a photo of him on the internet. He has a grin on his face as if he enjoys whatever he is doing, and that, evidently, would be killing horses for the insurance money, plus throwing his employees under the bus.
BREAKING NEWS: The thoroughly biased CHRB – all of whom either own racehorses, have owned racehorses, have some shares in some capacity in horse racing or beats racehorses (Alex Solis) has decided to give Los Alamitos a 10 day reprieve instead of invoking Bill 469.
They are putting Los Al on “notice” to come up with a plan to reduce racehorse deaths.
So Los Al and their bevy of attorneys can write a plan, submit it, then keep on killing.
They wouldn’t even consider stopping horse racing right now for a period of 10 days and then reassess the situation which is totally unfair to Santa Anita who was forced to shut down.
Not that I care about the death trap Santa Anita, but just pointing out how inconsistent this vile and corrupt business is.
Listening to this meeting was a joke for me because it sounded exactly like the previous meetings that I attended back in 2005.
So their “meetings” are nothing more than public wallpaper and these racehorse killers are a disgrace as they search for any excuse to keep this public butcher show going.
The CHRB members need to be replaced with members of the public and/or animal advocacy groups to some extent because these bunch of croonies are there to protect the gambling not the racehorses.
You all make me sick – more days given for racehorses to suffer and die you assholes.
Also wanted to add that I tried to join the meeting, but it was so coincidental that the person who answered the phone made clear that it was not her job, that she was in Human Resources and just filling in for the day.
Therefore, after a long hold she couldn’t transfer me to a public meeting paid for by taxpayers.
How convenient is that?
There was no “Join Button” provided on their website and people who wanted to participate could only phone in to an incompetent person who laughed and giggled about not being able to transfer me.
What a sham.
Your being shut down you racehorse killers it’s just a matter of time.
Optimistic of you to hope the fox would close the henhouse.
I said back in 2005, and over the years even recently on this site that Rick Arthur DVM head of the CHRB needs to go.
As long as he’s in power little to no changes will take place.
Rick Arthur was the vet for many of Richard Mandella’s racehorses even when he was in the CHRB back in 2005 because I directly witnessed him giving SWT and needles to racehorses in his barn.
This comment in today’s meeting stuck out to me:
Arthur: “I see no evidence there is a problem with Los Alamitos’ track.”
So there you have it – the vet in charge of all racehorses on all California tracks.
You can’t make this stuff up and when is the Gov. going to fire him?
Bill 469 should have been invoked like 10 dead racehorses ago dont’ you think?
Unfukinbelevable! The racehorses don’t have a chance up against these hoodlums.
Gina, thank you for your efforts to speak up for the horses at the “meeting” that was a sham. Obviously, the DVM head of the CHRB refuses to speak up for the horses; instead he is against protecting horses. Evidently, he and all of the rest of the slime-balls making their living by racing horses and inflicting cruelty and brutality on them and eventually killing them enjoy what they are doing and that’s why everyone that supports protecting horses in earnest always says, “HORSERACING CANNOT BE REFORMED!!!!” This is just more proof that the killing of racehorses in the most brutal ways will continue until horseracing is banned!!!!