The following horses were injured in races at American tracks last week. Unless otherwise noted, each required the “equine ambulance” to get off the course. While not all of these “vanned off” end up dead, most do, as borne out by my FOIA reports.
Daisy Can at Prairie
Maimo at Parx
Quality Asset at Parx
Dream’n Demon at Parx (while “bleeding profusely from the nostrils”)
Belisarius at Saratoga
Hara at Saratoga
Mica Bay at Canterbury
Cajun Firecracker at Gulfstream (“pulled up in distress”)
Bribe at Indiana (“went wrong”)
Leona Vander at Arlington
Tide of the Desert at Gulfstream
Unstopabull Belle at Laurel
Roman Reign at Monmouth
Jess Cindy at Ruidoso
Whistle Stop Cafe at Ruidoso (“bled”)
Favorite Agree at Ruidoso
Sc Divas Famous Man at Ruidoso
Tres of Daddy at Ruidoso
Flight Time not reported as vanned, but “bled” at Ellis
Irish Crossing at Laurel
Painted Image at Monmouth
Chic Bella at Monmouth
Peves Jackpot Jack at Ruidoso
Oil Can Knight not reported as vanned, but “bled” at Del Mar
My Sweet Lou at Golden Gate (“went wrong”)
Princess Merida at Gulfstream
Emma Rose at Gulfstream
Skinny Love at Sweetwater
(source: Equibase)
And here we are in the 21st century ?
How can this carnage of innocent horses for entertainment and gambling be allowed to happen?
Absolutely most do end up dead.
And those who manage to survive after suffering serious injury are no longer useful to the industry and disappear. They end up on the bloody slaughterhouse floor after a horrendous journey to Mexico or Canada suffering hunger and thirst, suffering terrible pain from their unattended serious injuries, waiting, frightened in yards. Then smelling and hearing the inhumane torturous deaths of those that go before them.
The undeniable truth that the horseracing industry loathes to be told.
Not a van off (so not on this list) but a DNF this past week, Mintappearence, a 4-year-old dark bay filly. “Eased and walked off” in her race on August 18 at Louisiana Downs (for owner D & D Racing Stable and trainer Joseph Foster), SHE’S NOW IN JACOB THOMPSON’S KILL PEN.
Oh but the apologists are so quick to come to the defense of the filly’s connections – since it’s only been days from her last race until she’s with Thompson, they can hardly claim the over-used excuse, “They gave her to a nice lady for her 12-yer-old daughter a couple of years ago so it’s THEIR responsibility, not the racing owner’s!” Actually, that idiocy would be easier digested than THIS crap from a commenter on the post about Mintappearence being in a kill pen; “Joey Foster (the trainer) is an outstanding trainer and was not aware of this situation whatsoever, he is just as upset as everyone else…[he is an] innocent party that [does] not need to be involved.” Yea, OK…Foster only needs to be involved when it’s to hold out his slimy hands, taking his share of the money his horses made while risking their lives.
Louisiana racehorses are constantly found in the kill pens…only days, weeks or months from their last races – all of the much-touted “aftercare” organizations cannot keep up with the disposal of their beloved athletes.
And then this, a racing owner acting all holier-than-thou over Mintappearence being in a kill pen, days out from her last race, commenting; “You need to call the stewards!” and “At many tracks they will not allow the trainer to run or enter if a horse is found at a kill lot!” Now WHO is she trying to kid?!? – are these folks just that stupid to think we buy that line of crap?
This owner, Julie Ramgeet, better take a long, hard look in the mirror – the following is her ad for a racehorse she wants rid of (she doesn’t provide their names in her ads – you need to PM her)……
“This handsome guy needs a new job or a cheaper track. 5 yr old, has an ankle and slight suspensory. No breaks, can be sold to race or go in another direction….”
“HAS AN ANKLE AND SLIGHT SUSPENSORY – NEEDS A CHEAPER TRACK.” Now THAT’S an owner that loves ’em like her own child, don’t you think? Unreal.
A cheaper track? That’s classic. ALL racing scum are looking for a cheaper track, all the time. That’s literally the definition of racehorse “selling” (claiming/dumping.) The big-name tracks just send their surviving beloved family members down to the little, cheaper guys. And, presto! They wash their hands of any responsibility for “aftercare.”
Incredible (literally, not credible) how they all claim they find good homes for their cast-offs, but none can account for their not-so-mysteriously-disappeared young racehorses. It’s always the “others” in racing who do the dumping, yet none of the “others” will fess up, either.
So, round and round we go: breeding, abusing, dumping; breeding, abusing, dumping… This is the REAL circle of life for American racehorses.
But, hey, it’s almost Derby time, everyone! So let’s all suspend disbelief about what our stupid bets are actually paying for (again): Suffering. Carnage. Cruelty.
Do y’all have any idea wat it could of been that she hurt?? I purchased her from the kill pen an was supposedly healthy an able to get back to the track! Was it a career ending injury? Any info would be great thanks in advance!
BILLIONS in casino and wagering profits.
In addition, billions in taxpayers money, corporate welfare and sales auction profits.
YEARS of collecting billions even managing to get the Interstate Horse Wagering Act changed in their favor and, incidentally, this is the ONLY gambling venue in this country that can collect billions in wagering profits across state lines with little to no taxes going to the states hosting the race meets.
Little to no oversight.
Yet, they STILL don’t have any mandatory aftercare contritbution!
Not even 1% is set aside to take care of the very racehorses that carry this business on their bones, backs and lives rendering them nothing more than a disposable gambling chip.
Back in 2000, when I owned my farm in Kentucky I belonged to a owners organization that would meet once a month to discuss issues surrounding horse racing.
During one meeting I brought up the mandatory 1% contribution to be set aside for racehorse aftercare.
It was met with fierce opposition and they flat out said this: “a mandatory contribution will turn-off current and potential owners from investing in a racehorse. They don’t want the financial responsibility of taking care of a horse for the rest of its life. We must make it as easy as possible for them to dump them into the claiming ranks or wherever.” – no exagerration here.
The facts speak for themselves as thousands of racehorses end up on the slaughterhouse floor every single year with nobody there to rescue them.
They only care about them when they can exploit and kill them with no legal repercussions and that’s why things will never change – no reforms – just shut this bloody vile business full of parsites down.