Yesterday, Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico opened its two-day “All American Futurity Trials” – an event that, the track’s website says, “showcase[s] 2-year-old Quarter Horses vying for a spot in the $3 Million Grade I All American Futurity.” In other words, it’s a bunch of frightened and confused equine children being forced – via a perched, whip-wielding human – to run at a breakneck speed with other frightened and confused equine children. And here’s how it has unfolded thus far.
In addition to several “fractious” or “hard to load” horses yesterday, no fewer than five (two in the same race) of these babes were “vanned off” the track in the equine ambulance: Jess Cindy, Whistle Stop Cafe (who also “bled” – most assuredly through the nostrils), Favorite Agree, Sc Divas Famous Man, and Tres of Daddy.
How in 21st Century America can we continue to abide doing this to (forcibly) orphaned young animals in the name of “sport,” “entertainment”? For shame.
Also: Los Alamitos is now officially at 33 killed on the year with yesterday’s disclosure of the death of 3-year-old Bf Field Notes on August 7. While no details were provided by the CHRB (I will eventually get them), Bf had been raced just five days prior.
If justice were served, all of these people making their living by abusing horses literally to death would be charged with the crimes they have committed, arrested, jailed, held for trial, convicted, sentenced and doing time in the State penitentiary!!!!!!!!!!!!! The surviving horses would be cared for properly by qualified people who have honesty and the capacity to care from their heart, are playing with a full deck, and know about proper animal husbandry. The horses would be kept healthy in proper places fit for equine habitation.
Honestly, my stomach is so upset over this vile business that I just puked when I read this.
This is an abomination and every single person reading this get your phone out get your emails happening call, call, call, email, email, email the CHRB and Gov. Newsom and DEMAND that Bill 469 be immediately invoked.
I swear if I was out in California I would be camped out on the doorstep of Gov. Newsom demanding that they shut this killing show down.
Everything, all of my research and all of my experience over the years continues to point to politicians, attorneys, judges in syndicates that facilitate and support this state-sanctioned animal cruelty and killing.
Horse racing is connected “high-up” with millions in taxpayers money disappearing.
It’ deep state corruption that makes QAnon look like a Barbie show.
There’s no business in this civilized society that would be permitted to continue unless it was connected high up.
Whatever the connection I despise these parasites, these monsters who continue to facilitate and kill these poor racehorses on a grand scale.
This is dire, how bad can this get, I find it sickening, shameful, barbaric and so so sad. These magnificent creatures are abused by humans, all to gain more money.
Five van-offs in one day? Sounds like the little horse-killing tracks need to take a page from all the big, “elite” horse-killing tracks and start fudging their charts a little better. You know, spread the reported carnage out by only admitting to using your “Equine Ambulance” (Horse Hearse, more often than not) a maximum of a couple times per race day. This has been a wildly effective system for the big guys this week, all of whom have been putting a shit-ton of mileage on their vans.
And, really, who’s gonna dispute the new, sanitized version of your carnage charts, little guys? We’re in a PANDEMIC. Your highly-essential business is even less scrutinized than during normal horse-killing times, so live it up!
This is horrendous. Is there no animal welfare body like RSPCA that looks into these deaths. Very occasionally we have several deaths at Cheltenham which is highly unusual but nothing like what happens in America.
I’m pretty sure you all have a whole bunch of racehorse deaths, too, Mary. Some may be “officially” reported, but most are not, just as happens here in the States. I believe this misnomer of fewer British deaths is due to the fact that you don’t have a Patrick, and we do.
I highly recommend you get yourselves a Patrick for a more accurate comparison:)
https://www.horsedeathwatch.com/
The reason why they bled is because use of Lasix is close to being banned for 2 year old racing. But it is not uniform at all tracks. Most of the time the bleeding looks alot worse than it is. And the trainers should know this if they have worked their horses at speed. And Ruidoso Downs in Mew Mexico is definitely a 3rd tier racetrack. There is no telling what medication safety precautions are in place here. I don’t think Los Alamitos will be racing too much longer.
Can someone alert the news media? As individuals we are powerless to stop this sort of abuse and cruelty but when the general public is alerted it seems to carry more weight. Big money payouts are the root of this evil.
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
Sorry to keep jumping in here, all, but it’s after midnight out here in the wild west, and Los Alamitos just had what’s reported to be a devastating accident in race 8. Doc Allred’s own horse, apparently, was just (big surprise) vanned off. Nothing unusual there, but Racing Twitter is blowing up with comments to the effect of, “Worst I’ve seen,” and, “horrific/horrible/brutal,” and, “I’m sure the horse didn’t survive.”
Perhaps of greater concern to those who witnessed it, though, is the condition of the jockey, Vinnie Bednar. They’re saying he’s been transported to Long Beach Memorial Trauma.
In other words, this won’t be just another Los Al horse death that the CHRB and the racing press will be able to conveniently sweep under the bloody rug.