Last Week’s “Vanned” and “Bled”

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Last week on U.S. Flat (Thoroughbred/Quarterhorse) Tracks, according to Equibase:

Jimmy Winne “vanned off” at Prairie
Semifinal “went bad, vanned off in distress” at Belterra
Cecilia’s a Gem “fell, vanned off” at Mountaineer
Champsachamp “went wrong, vanned off” at Belterra
Caruso “went bad, pulled up in distress, vanned off” at Belterra
Jerf “vanned off” at Canterbury
Norma Jean B. “bled” at Keeneland
She’s Into Me “bled, vanned off” at Keeneland
Sally “pulled up in distress, vanned off” at Belterra
Louisiana Dreamin “vanned off” at Delta
Conspicuous Woman “vanned off” at Evangeline
Lassie’s Last Hour “vanned off” at Evangeline
Racing My Father “vanned off lame” at Penn
Get a Valentine “bled” at Penn
Rc Dragoncito Cartel “vanned off” at Ruidoso
Grand Ty “vanned off” at Evangeline
Tiesto “vanned off” at Keeneland
Alltime Favorite “vanned off” at Los Alamitos
Erratic Behavior “vanned off” at Prairie
Mi Moonflash “fell post-race, vanned off” at Ruidoso
Saint Icon “fell over rail after race, vanned off” at Ruidoso
Crater Rim “vanned off” at Belmont
Larch “vanned off” at Prairie

“Vanned Off”: exactly how it sounds – the horse was unable to walk off the track on his own and required the “equine ambulance.” While not all of these horses end up dead, most do, as borne out by my year-end FOIA reports.
“Bled/Returned Bleeding From Nostrils”: typically indicates pulmonary hemorrhage.

6 Comments

  1. Semifinal raised some red flags in the pro racing community, as well he should have. He was a 1.1 MILLION – yep MILLION – dollar purchase for the China horse club.
    He broke down in his SECOND race, which was a $12,500 claimer at dumpy Belterra.
    Suspicious? That’s some serious depreciation on the China horse clubs commodity! Can’t imagine there was much love for a family member when he was sent out for that race!

    • Peggy,
      How do they figure to make money on a horse by causing him (or her) to break down catastrophically at such a young age??? It defies common sense. I know the people in horseracing are not famous for having or using common sense but still…
      If they can write the death of this horse off as a business loss, that would be one motivation to go ahead and purposely cause him to suffer a tragic break down, I guess. It is NOT true horsemanship to do to horses what these rich barbarians do to their horses!
      #Endhorseracing

    • Interesting, Peggy. I wonder, when the next rider is paralyzed/killed in these fill-the-card-at-any-cost races, if racing secretaries will finally stop writing races for injured horses.
      Nah. Who am I kidding? When it happens again, they’ll just find some so-called veterinary professional to certify the poor horse had been sound and healthy right up until post time — even if said horse had dropped a mere million in price, was staggering on three legs into the gate, and doped to the gills on “legal” painkillers.
      After all, Jockeys’ Lives Don’t Matter, do they, racing creeps?

      • Kelly, I read about a racetrack (don’t recall the name of racetrack) that hired a veterinarian trained and experienced with dogs and cats (small animals) to approve a horse (large animals) with a slab fracture to race in a specific race. Of course, the horse was NOT okay to race! Business as usual…
        [#Endhorseracing]

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