Today is Kentucky Derby Day, a day in which the The Big Lie is at its most obscene. NBC and mint juleps; “The Run for the Roses,” “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” But the truth is, today is but a hollow dog and pony show. Horseracing, everyday horseracing, is cold, violent, and merciless. And here’s another hard truth: Horseracing in America is not 100 disparate companies; it is a single entity. As such, a bet at one track is a bet at all; to patronize one race is to patronize all. In other words, if you support – watch, bet on – today’s race, you make possible the following.
Some of the horses killed at U.S. tracks in 2018, in the words of the industry itself.
(R: Racing, T: Training, S: Stall)
Papa’s Missile, January 10, Penn T
“apparent heart attack – expired on track”
Jess Call Me J R, January 15, Sunland S
“found dead in stall” (two years old)
yet-to-be-named 2-year-old, January 16, Santa Anita T
“right forelimb: comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the metacarpus; innumerable small fragments of bone; two large bone fragments that stayed in place; all articular surfaces of the fetlock…were covered with innumerable small irregular bone fragments; left forelimb: there was an open – 8 cm long skin tearing of the MCIII, with protrusion of a fragment of bone – comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the MCIII; all articular surfaces of the fetlock…were covered with innumerable small irregular bone fragments” (that’s two broken legs)
Verraco, January 19, Santa Anita R
“right radius/ulna fracture, open, comminuted, complete, displaced, acute, with five major bone fragments, smaller missing fragments; avulsion of ulna from radius; bone fragment protrusion through hemorrhagic, gaping skin tear; pre-existing degenerative joint lesions; gastric ulceration chronic”
Dragon Dread, February 14, Monticello S
“found deceased in barn stall this morning”
Game Piece, February 23, Los Alamitos R
“MC3 is completely shattered into 50-100 shards and fragments; four complete fractures through the articular surface; the skin overlying the MC3 is multifocally torn with extensive subcutaneous hemorrhage and protruding shards of bone”
Move Bingham, March 2, Sunland T
“collision on racetrack with another horse” (see below)
Naevussquall, March 2, Sunland T
“collision on racetrack with another horse” (see above)
Every Intention, March 10, Meadowlands S
“severe injury to ankle, open wound into fetlock joint – euthanized in pit”
Shelby’s Ideal, March 13, Monticello S
“found dead following treatment for acute colic the day prior”
Portent, March 14, Charles Town R
“both ankles fractured [and] dislocated”
Boom Boom Bango, March 18, Santa Anita R
“open, comminuted, completed, displaced fracture, MCIII; open, comminuted displaced fracture, medial proximal sesamoid bone; avulsion fracture, lateral proximal sesamoid bone; rupture, intersesamoidean ligament; marked fraying, flexor tendons; marked fraying, suspensory apparatus; marked fraying, straight distal sesamoidean ligament; marked fraying and transection, cruciate sesamoidean ligaments; transection, collateral sesamoidean ligaments; comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the proximal phalanx; cartilage erosion – chronic [in both front limbs]” (that’s one horse, one death)
Dial Me In, March 23, Santa Anita R
“complete, comminuted fracture of the scapula through the neck and distal end of the spine; the major distal fragment is split into two major fragments by a fracture that enters the glenoid and splits the glenoid into halves; the caudal fragment is split into three major fragments longitudinally”
Ready Poncho, March 24, Hawthorne T
“collapsed dead on track…exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage”
Anchor, April 6, Belmont S
“horse was found dead in stall”
Hazel Ann I Am, April 14, Keeneland R
“[two broken legs]”
Carulli, April 20, Los Alamitos R
“open, comminuted, complete, displaced condylar fracture with rupture of the articular capsule, annular ligament and collateral fetlock ligaments; open, comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the medial proximal sesamoid bone with avulsion fracture of the tip and avulsion fracture of the axial surface; rupture of the intersesamoidean ligament; deep gastric ulcers”
Xten, April 20, Santa Anita T
“horse collided with another horse, fell; given several hours to attempt to rise, unable to; exhibited tremors post-injury; a severe, comminuted (+40 fragments) fracture of the thoracic vertebrae; extensive hemorrhages in the spinal canal, bones and adjacent skeletal muscle; due to the large numbers of fragments, it was not possible to evaluate for predisposing lesions”
Bs Cartel, April 24, Remington S
“found dead in stall – stomach rupture” (two years old)
Mr Dynasty, April 29, Turf T
“head trauma – fractured skull, brain bleed”
Top Street, May 3, Penn R
“horse dropped dead post-race”
Formal Summation, May 15, Delaware S
“terminally lame: complete cartilage erosion of both front metacarpal IIIs” (five years old)
Terry O Geri, May 18, Belmont S
“found dead in stall two days after having colic surgery”
Fast Munny, May 19, Santa Anita R
“horse was trailing field and suddenly collapsed and expired at the wire – extensive hemorrhages of the left caudal lobe, hemorrhages in multiple organs; chronic gastric erosions/ulcers”
Baby Lightweight, May 21, Finger Lakes S
“laminitis both front limbs – euthanized” (three years old, yet to be raced)
Right On the Nose, May 28, Remington R
“fell, hindquarters wouldn’t move”
Major Hit, May 29, Thistledown R
“fractured both knees during race”
Hokie Fever, May 31, Penn T
“open fracture of radius with large fracture piece found on the ground”
Tasmania, June 2, Belterra R
“fractured both sesamoids, avulsed ligaments, dislocated fetlock joint”
Waya Ed, June 2, Santa Anita R
“catastrophic fracture of the tibia; several variable size bone fragments within the two main bone fragments; severe tearing and hemorrhage of the muscles”
Cash Poor, June 3, Saratoga Harness R
“horse collapsed and died after finishing fourth”
Amada Rafaela, June 7, Santa Anita R
“horse staggered and collapsed, rapid onset of agonal breathing with white mucus membranes [and] large amount of red-tinged froth in the trachea – severe pulmonary hemorrhage; [also:] pelvic fracture, vertebral fractures”
My Erin, June 9, Belterra R
“fetlock was completely dislocated, open fractures, sesamoids and supporting ligaments completely avulsed”
Dauns First Desirio, June 10, Arapahoe R
“heatstroke”
Divine Order, June 10, Monmouth S
“severe colic, toxic, severe pain”
Tiffany Diamond, June 17, Santa Anita R
“catastrophic fetlock failure – over 40 bone fragments, extensive hemorrhage”
Mr. Euro, June 18, Delaware R
“[multiple] fractures, complete rupture of the flexor tendon, torn suspensory branches, and an open wound”
Dashing Roja, June 23, Pleasanton R
“complete rupture of the sesamoidean ligaments”
Imperial Legacy, June 30, Los Alamitos R
“[multiple] fractures; hemorrhage and fraying of suspensory ligament; rupture of intersesamoidean and palmar annular ligaments; rupture of medial collateral ligament of the fetlock; rupture of medial collateral sesamoidean ligament; gastric ulcers”
First Prize Choice, June 30, Wyoming Downs R
“collision with rail – catastrophic head injury”
Seared, July 8, Los Alamitos R
“pulled up racing, collapsed on ambulance, pulled from ambulance unable to rise: comminuted, complete, displaced fracture with compression of spinal cord”
Bookofmatches, July 14, Los Alamitos R
“comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the L5 vertebra with extensive hemorrhages”
El Gran Noel, July 19, Penn S
“rupture of internal carotid”
Lady Jodie Perry, July 21, Ruidoso T
“severed tendons and ligament”
Bobby Abu Dhabi, July 22, Del Mar T
“[multiple] fetlock and cervical fractures”
Intrepid Humor, July 28, Arlington T
“fracture with lacerated femoral artery”
Unusual Kiddy, July 29, Los Alamitos R
“fell leaving gate, paralyzed: comminuted fracture of the spine with extensive hemorrhages in the adjacent musculature and connective tissue”
Irish Spring, August 4, Del Mar R
“fell…dead upon arrival: complete, comminuted, displaced fracture of C3 with complete transection of the spinal cord and extensive hemorrhages”
Giant Breeze, August 5, Arlington R
“after racing the horse became recumbent…they got the horse up…it went down and never got up again…severe heat stroke…euthanized”
Get Mad Gracie, August 11, Fairmount R
“fractured ankle – shattered”
Magic Mangus, August 17, Monmouth R (euthanized August 31)
“right dorsal displacement; [also:] laminitis, pneumonia, colic”
Sunnysyde, August 17, Ruidoso R
“bled, died on way to barn”
Happy Andyversary, August 19, Harrah’s R
“suffered a seizure and expired”
Geremel Hanover, August 21, Plainridge R
“fell over another horse, pulmonary hemorrhage, died instantly”
Mischief Maker, August 28, Tioga T
“shatter[ed] his pastern”
Mz Brown, September 2, Del Mar R
“catastrophic breakdown of the fetlock; fractures of the proximal sesamoid bones; full thickness, transverse rupture of the palmar annular ligament; full thickness, transverse and longitudinal rupture of the intersesamoidean ligament”
Royal Blessing, September 4, Saratoga S
“was found dead in his stall – ileal rupture”
Valley Child, September 6, Los Alamitos T
“left front carpus failure, [multiple fractures]; right front carpus failure, [multiple fractures]” (that’s multiple fractures in two legs)
Chazelle, September 6, Penn S
“found expired in stall” (three years old)
Bronson, September 8, Kentucky Downs R
“multiple fetlock fractures; extensive soft tissue damage; chronic, gastric ulceration”
Cool Breeze De Vie, September 8, Tioga R
“collapsed and died immediately following the race”
Cruzin Wrangler, September 9, Prairie R
“tibial fracture, skull fracture, DOA…the result of a mid-race collision”
Chloes Smoke N Fame, September 9, Sweetwater Downs R
“chest impalement”
G P’s Girl, September 20, Arlington R
“collapsed on track…horse was in agonal breathing and the mucus membranes were white…stopped breathing within seconds of arrival”
Claret Jug, October 4, Remington R
“collapsed at the finish line, died two minutes later” (three years old)
St. Barts, October 6, Saratoga T
“collapsed – pulmonary hemorrhage”
Jess Pure Class, October 14, Turf R
“[broke both front legs]”
Next Dance, October 17, Keeneland R
“horse pulled up and fell – open, comminuted fracture…numerous small fragments of bone embedded in the connective tissues”
Beau Square, October 18, Santa Anita R
“[multiple] complete fractures; [multiple] ligament ruptures”
Semper Frey, October 21, Hawthorne T
“horse went down and was dead before [vet got there]”
E Licious, October 26, Penn R
“horse collapsed just past the finish line – was dead when vet reached [her]” (three years old)
KJ Henry Michael, October 27, Monticello S
“found deceased in stall early morning” (two years old)
Hashtag Fast, October 28, Will Rogers S
“found dead in stall – presumed choke”
Love to Party, November 8, Charles Town R
“shattered MCIII”
Andesine, November 11, Aqueduct R
“collapsed and died after being unsaddled”
Thurman, November 24, Hawthorne R
“complete rupture of [multiple] ligaments”
Coming in Hot, December 4, Portland R
“sudden death/collapse due to circulatory failure”
The Last Factor, December 7, Turfway R
“[two broken legs]”
Unusual Champ, December 12, Turf R
“collapse – pulmonary hemorrhage”
Printscess Hunt, December 27, Charles Town S
“head trauma”
Running Wildcat, December 27, Charles Town S
“cast in stall, broken jaw“
Horse racing is purely animal abuse for the sick pleasure of humans.
Stop. Killing. Horses.
Racing. Horses. To. Death. Is. Vile.
Horse. Racing. Is. Cruel.
Horse. Racing. Is. Gruesome.
#Endhorseracing
MURDERING, CRUEL ANIMAL ABUSERS….ALL THESE DEATHS FOR MONEY….
Horse racing is nothing more than abuse and slaughtering horses. If you are involved with any aspect of this cruel world you are a murder. We don’t need horse racing. It an slaughter pure and simple. Once again humans making money off an innocent animals corpse.
ALWAYS turning a blind eye to the horrors inflicted on Horses — HOW could they! — WHY would they! — Keep in mind, I am speaking to ALL people who utter the words, “Horseracing” — you have your SPORTS announcers, NEWS people, Reporters, etc. — why not address the evidence showing the unconscionable cruelty to Horses! – I’ve lost respect for those who are educated and enlightened and KNOW BETTER — How I loathe those who continue with these atrocities knowing the violence & suffering Horses undergo — SHUT DOWN HORSERACING — FOREVER.
Horse racing is a killing blood sport endorsed by greedy owners, trainers and bettors
BOYCOTT NOW!
How is this legal? How is this essential? This is beyond animal cruelty!
Joy, ANOTHER chestnut!!!!! (Penn) I cry for ALL horses, but, DAMNIT…there’s something very vulnerable about those lovable chestnuts. Poor dear baby had no business, like Gina pointed out, being raced (unsound). These people in racing have NO morals..none. Baby girl my heart breaks for you.😭😞
Forgive me, but I cannot help but comment upon this matter, as I have infrequently before. I exercised race horses for about 5 years, almost fifty years ago. I worked for a trainer and his wife, lived on their training and rehabilitation farm, became close with their children, and saw the light side of the industry – people who’d been raised with horses and cattle, who loved them, and who went way out of their way to treat them well. All of this was “as good as it gets,” and that was very good indeed. This does not change the fact that my experience on the actual track was a different story. The backside is a grim place. My boss told me many stories of awful things happening to horses and to people due to the influence of drugs, money, gambling, unscrupulous trainers and owners who pressured for their horses to be raced in races they had no business running in. I saw a lot, and much of it was not pretty. The Derby is indeed a front, a glam show for the cameras, while behind the scenes in the stalls and shed rows, a very rough industry goes through its daily grind of pushing horses to do something they would never do left to themselves. Human athletes compete because they want to. Horses have no choice. No one beats a human athlete to run faster. We don’t have human runners breaking their bones and being destroyed every week as they run because someone on their back is making them run. A fit horse who “loves to run” and “loves to compete” loves these things in a natural setting. Watch them in a field and they naturally run and compete with each other, but they stop whenever they want to; their bodies tell them when enough is enough, and for the most part they are running on pasture ground, not super fast race tracks designed for speed not for horse safety. The horse racing industry is an ugly entity. It is a money machine and its bottom line has absolutely NOTHING to do with horses and their happiness. Like many things in human experience, what once was a friendly, entertaining, innocent and sane pastime between cowboys and local horse lovers got turned into a meat market and a slaughter house, no exaggeration. There is nothing pretty about ruined horses in pain with bones sticking through their skin and agony in their eyes. There is nothing sporting about a literal pile of dead horses behind the track at the end of a week of horse racing. My boss used to tell me about “the green cart.” This, I learned, was a cart that gathered up dead horses each week. That was 50 years ago and not only have things not improved, they have gotten immeasurably worse. This is not a sport of any kind by any stretch of the imagination. If it ever used to be, that era has long gone. It is a commercial enterprise propped up by drugs, corruption, greed, gambling, tracks too fast, bones too thin, horses too young, people too hard and uncaring, and horses in pain followed by horses dead. Are there people in the horse racing world who love horses and “do it right?” I believe there are, but we are not talking about this. We are talking about an industry that has lost its soul and that has become something vile and toxic. It has no hope of reform, way too much money involved now, way too much truly sick addiction, way too many cheap trainers who don’t care for horses at all, way too many officials willing to continue with denial and a turned eye, and way too much cruelty. Even 50 years ago the cruelty was impossible to miss. The trainer I used to work for once told me, “Show me a gambler, and I’ll show you a loser. The gambling ruins this business.” Amen. Ruined indeed. It needs to be shut down.
That was beautiful and brilliant, Snowman. Thank you.
Snowman, you said it ALL, and you said it heartbreakingly well.
Idiots like Baffert are no better than drug-dealers — look how Authorities pursue El Chapo for his criminal activities — no wonder : El Chapo engages in addiction, violence, death, murder — if you ask me, NO DIFFERENT than Baffert & his ilk — the rest of the depraved tormentors — yet they’re televised as heroic, successful celebrities with accomplishments — (give me a moment to vomit) — something is VERY WRONG here — let’s keep at this until we SHUT DOWN the HORSE-RACING INDUSTRY — (by the way, do NOT blame Gambling nor Gamblers).
mssm8822,
Every horse entered in a race is a gambling chip. Pari-mutuel betting/wagering is part of horse racing! Watching from an Off-Track Betting casino and/or going to the horse races in person, gambling is one of the main parts of horse racing. Gambling on horse races is what keeps the money flowing into the hands of certain people, the people who own the gambling venues, such as TVG, etc. It’s always about the odds in each horse running in any given race. The purse money comes from the government. The racetrack owners want the money from CORPORATE WELFARE for using to put up purse money to HAVE MORE RACES which will attract more horse owners to enter more horses and/ or each horse more often. The horses are also referred to as gambling chips. Horse Racing evolves around corporate welfare/ government subsidies AND gambling/ pari-mutuel betting. Most newspapers report on the WAGERING HANDLE as if they don’t care about the horses but they are obsessed with the WAGERING HANDLE.
Thanks, Wanda for detailed workings of Horseracing & Gambling (I genuinely did not know the little, yet important, facts) — BUT, just to make sure that I’m getting it right : I want to ABOLISH Horseracing — when Horseracing is ABOLISHED completely, the Gambling enterprises will STILL BE be in business — think of all Sports, etc. — once Horseracing is out of the picture, I will NOT be pursuing to eliminate the Gambling industry; hence, my issues are NOT with Gambling — I get the distinct feeling that you want me to believe that if we get rid of Gambling, we will get rid of Horseracing?
mssm8822,
I am wanting the people of the horse racing industry to stop using horses as gambling chips and therefore stop over breeding of Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses and Standardbreds. I want them to stop using horses as a means of “fame” and “fortune” (or entertainment) in the racing industry. I want to see the end of horse racing and therefore the end of PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING on horses. Stop the $2 bets. Stop all bets on all horses. When racing and wagering on race horses comes to an end, there won’t be hundreds of horses being confined in stalls 23 hours a day, doped with various legal and illegal drugs (adulterated and mislabeled, etc.) and whipped and shocked to run faster and faster than they were ever meant to run on their own.
If people want to gamble, they can buy a lottery ticket for $1 or buy 2 tickets for $2 total. Or they can lose their money in the slot machines at a casino.
I want to see the end of all government subsidies a.k.a. corporate welfare to the horse racing industry, which includes breeding as well as racing and pari-mutuel wagering.
Got it, Wanda — I’m assuming you have nothing against betting on sports, e.g., golf, football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey?
mssm8822,
Gambling on other things is beside the point of the abuse and inhumane treatment of horses, especially horses exploited for racing. I do not advocate gambling on anything but some people will gamble anyway. I don’t like the cheating, corruption, dishonesty, manipulation and physical harm that is inflicted on horses or people but especially horses (or other animals) so someone can win money by betting on the outcome of a race, contest or whatever event. As long as some people are prone to gamble in some fashion, I would rather they buy a lottery ticket than bet on horses.
#Endhorseracing
Stop. Government. Subsidies. To. Horse. Racing.
Again — GOT IT! — you want to SHUT DOWN Horse-racing along with those entities who help support the existence of Horseracing — I could not agree more — you said it.
This is an example of the sick and vile nature of humans. Horses and other animals should not have to suffer for human entertainment.
This Kentucky Derby is not unlike any other.
The proclaimed “reforms” on full disembowel as EVERY SINGLE TRAINER has multiple doping violations and a long dirty list of racehorses dying under their care, custody, and control.
Where do I start?
Well how about good ole Golden Boy Bob Baffert?
The list is long enough to fill a book, but let’s just take the Justify cover-up debacle one of the biggest frauds perpetrated on the American public in horse racing history.
Then 2 racehorses Charlatan and Gamine each tested positive for lidocaine in two rounds of testing after winning races at the Hot Springs, Arkansas, track on May 2.
Lidocaine is a powerful pain numbing anesthetic drug that can quickly turn into a fatal overdose, but it can also cause arythmia and heart failure.
SImilar to Morphine a racehorse will keep on running while it’s bones are being shattered.
It’s that powerful, but Baffert doesn’t seem to care about what danger it poses as long as he wins.
Nevertheless, after all of this he’s STILL training, running and is in the Derby today without skipping a beat after being found guilty of multiple serious violations.
So much for reforms right?
It doesn’t end there remember Steve Asmussen?
Yes that Steve Ass who authorized egrecious abuse on racehorses under his custody and caught on tape doing it.
Up until then, Steve would innocently look into the camera and claim to love and care for them like family members and was able to dispute the rumors going around.
However, the video showed the complete opposite and, of course, NEHRO – poor NEHRO who was forced to train and run on half a hoof with an extremely painful condition.
Well, like Baffert nothing came out of it or very little and what does it matter anyways when your still able to go on and run in the Demolition Derby?
So much for reforms right?
Enter Patrick Biancone who deserves special mention as well.
Back in 2007 when Biancone was winning lots of races his barn was raided and Cobra Venom was found in his tack room labeled “Toxin.”
During this time Biancone had several outstanding doping violations in other states that was on appeal and when they appeal they are permitted to continue training and racing.
An absolute sham.
Nevertheless, he has a top attorney defend him with legal fees that even a movie star would be hard press to pay so what’s up with that?
Then, after a brief suspension, miraculously the Kentucky Racing Commision grants him his Trainer’s license back when it was supposed to be a permanent suspension.
I swear they don’t make these things up.
It’s important to note that many racehorses snapped their legs-off and died under Biancone’s care and it makes sense because they can’t feel their legs when probably being injected with Cobra Venom which is said to be 100 times more powerful than morphine when injected into a racehorse.
Biancone is in today’s Derby – so much for reforms and suspensions right?
The rest in there are the usual multiple doping violators and racehorse killers including Chad Brown.
Now both Chad Brown and Steve Asmussen have been legally charged with not paying their stable help, or ripping them off of their pay, or forcing them to sign documents that are false when these stable area workers have been working a ton of overtime hours and not getting paid.
Both of them have violated multiple state labor laws while doping and killing racehorses.
ALL OF THESE CRIMINALS ARE WELCOME AT CHURCHILL DOWNS TODAY.
It’s so disgusting it’s beyond words, but it’s their voiceless victims, the racehorses, that pay every step of the way and it clearly shows a bunch of racehorse abusers and killers that don’t give a shit what they shove into a racehorse as long as they get that win and flip a buck.
They are widely supported by systemic abusers and pro-horse racing entities with scarcely a mention of their long history as if it never happened – some deterrant right?
These poor racehorses are nothing but pin cushions and gambling chips to these thugs.
Reforms don’t work, have never worked, nor will they ever work – just shut this hell hole down.
Thousand words just fell in the paddock and scratched .
I just watched the replay on Twitter and all the apologists are so worried about the horse – is he okay?
Yet, they go silent when all the racehorses on the tracks snap their legs-off and crumble to the dirt.
They select when to be rightfully concerned yet they support a business that kills racehorses on a daily basis.
I wonder what Baffert shoved into this horse that made him so nervous?
Probably testing out another drug to win scheme – who knows?
What a bunch of delusional parasites.
I was studying her pp’s last night,her very first race in ny, she was “mugged” by another horse at the break,after that she was striding “funny” and racing erratically. She was injured badly from her first race…it’s so obvious,yet they continued to keep racing her,knowing she was unsound. That just goes to show you-they don’t give a damn about life -(I’mhappyandIknowit). I wish I could have removed her from that evil life of “Russian Roulette”. None of them deserve to die that way.😭
Nancy, I watched a brief video replay of the horse, THOUSAND WORDS, rearing up and falling backwards. I saw that creepy white-haired guy, Bob Baffert, walking alongside the rest of the handlers and the horse. I don’t know but I wonder if the dope he gives his horses makes them have “mind-altering” and distorted senses. I don’t know what kind of drugs they put into THOUSAND WORDS besides pain-killers. I’ve heard some people give their horses cocaine. I have no way of knowing exactly what was given to any of the horses running at Churchill Downs today. It’s a given that they are not all of a sudden running the horses clean and dope-free.
Wanda I had the same thoughts.
Wanda whatever designer drug they possibly put into Thousand Words is the same into Authentic.
In the winners circle Authentic went ballistic knocking Bob Baffert down to the ground.
If Authentic would have kicked-out his back leg Baffert would have been seriously maimed or even killed.
He was lucky to escape, but one day all of those dead racehorses will come back to haunt them all.
Gina. When BOTH the Baffert horses were totally hyper I wondered the same thing (re what is in their veins today). When Thousand Words fell down,he didn’t even go over to the horse. Maybe that,s the rule tho and one isn’t allowed near the horse close to post. Hoe he is ok and no head injury.
Gina, thanks for the heads up on AUTHENTIC. I cringe at the thought of what Baffert is shooting into the veins of these horses but it is logical that the owners want their horses to win at any cost. Why else would they want a widely known repeat horse-doping offender to get anywhere near their horses?!?!
Although far better educated about this issue since belonging to Horse Racing Wrongs, I’m not even the horse expert member that some of you are, and even I thought the same things that you mentioned.
Gandhi stated, “The GREATNESS of a nation and its MORAL PROGRESS can be judged by the WAY its animals are TREATED.” Please do the right thing and STOP this horrific cruelty all for the sake of human entertainment!
I’m glad that you are helping to fight this horrible issue.
But please research quotes and you will learn that Gandhi never said this. Beyond that, it is a tired old saying that frankly does nothing to help because most nations – especially ours and especially NOW – is so far from moral progress in ALL areas that no one even listens.
Your own words will be far more impressive, especially when they are issue-specific.
I love what you said there Gina…about how the Apologists don’t give a damn when the “other” horses (the ones who don’t get spoiled and pampered) snap their front legs off and FACEPLANT into the hard dirt!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who cares for those babies-except US here. All the Apologists care about are the ones running in the “Big” races. My nature and my soul has been about trying to ALWAYS help the underdogs of this cruel world. To that end I have given and done the best I can.
abs314, the following two quotes are attributed to Chief Seattle:
1. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
2. If all the beasts were gone man would die from great loneliness of spirit . For whatever befalls the beasts, soon befalls the man. All things are connected.
These are wise statements no matter who is given credit and that is what counts.
And since I’m already of subject the following is troubling.
On 2 Sept. a cargo ship carrying 5,800 live cattle and 43 sailors sank in the East China Sea. According to a survivor, the Panamanian-flagged 450ft vessel lost an engine and capsized in a storm when it could not avoid one of the waves. Cattle were seen drifting in the sea, according to the Japanese coast guard answering a distress call and searching for the sailors.
The ship left New Zealand on 14 Aug. and was due at the port of Jingtang, China on about 18 sept.
Animal-rights groups have heavily criticized the squalid conditions animals are subject to while being transported and at their final destinations.
New Zealand promotes itself as so “progressive”. Is progress being able to cram almost 6,000 live cattle into a vessel bound for China?! Shame on New Zealand profiting from such unspeakable misery and cruelty.
This is so so heartbreaking — what kills me even more is that all this is PREVENTABLE — first, STOP the shipping of live Animals — WHO does this!! — SHAME on all the depraved COWARD-IDIOTS involved in this trade — second, GO VEGAN — GO VEGAN — GO VEGAN.
And of course we sell horses to race in Puerto Rico and ship them in “modified” containers aboard cargo ships. We know at least 8 horses suffocated in one of those containers fairly recently.
The cruelty is astounding.
Rose,
The two Chief Seattle quotes are at least reliable quotes and far better than the tired non-Gandhi quote that is used by every newbie in AR. And the problem is, when we misquote, it diminishes our credibility about other statements and data. We have to be as perfect and as accurate as possible to fight our foes. That is our strength.
Thank you for posting about the other 2 extremely disturbing incidents. I myself already knew about both of them and signed petitions on the New Zealand matter. Live animal shipments were supposed to be under consideration of stopping in New Zealand and activists are outraged that this shipment was allowed and that this happened.
There is no question the world is horrible to animals. As long as humans erroneously consider them inferior and expendable, the evil will continue.
Horrible just horrible what these poor horses were put through its horrific to say the least . It’s.all about about money, money, money. Makes me sick the horses are treated like this. My animals life is way more important than putting it through all the trials n tribulations for money. GREED N more GREED sorry to say. It makes me so angry that the horses had to die… I would not be in that kind of greedy business I keep my animals out of harms way. Please someone HELP these beautiful creatures!😡😩
They need to stop abusing & killing these beautiful animals! Way to many to be coincidence’ I will pray someone will help them & put the people involved in prison’
END HORSE RACING. 😡 This is disgusting. Animals were not put here by God for our entertainment and greed. Let them be horses. Don’t force them to run some dumb ass race to a bunch of rich people can make money off of hurting horses by pushing them to extreme limits. The horses get nothing. The horses are just abused by being forced to run as fast as they can until their legs break or their hearts stop. Make this never happen again. #EndHorseRacing #WakeUpAmerica #StopAnimalAbuse
When is this hideous killing going to end you greedy fucking people
The 2020 Derby is now history. Well,not really.We are still awaiting the drug tests. Hold those tickets !
So so disgusting (and sad}.
Horse racing must stop. I won’t watch any horse race at all. It’s only a matter of time before they die Owners kill them for insurance money and sell the ones that “don’t make it” for slaughter. Im just sick of animal cruelty for entrainment. Stop it now
I read online that Bob Baffert’s assistant trainer got his arm broken when THOUSAND WORDS reared up and fell backwards in the “paddock” and scratched. It was so vomit-inducing to read what Baffert said about AUTHENTIC winning the Kentucky Derby; “…do it for Jimmie…” That was enough reading about that for me. It’s all about the animal abusers as if they are heroes instead of what they really are. I’m still wondering and waiting to hear about the condition of the horses, THOUSAND WORDS and AUTHENTIC, after this sickening display of self-righteousness by one of the most famous horse-killing “trainers” and his assistants. I would like to see reports of what drugs he and/ or his assistants put into the horses, although that will never happen. His lawyers and the industry “leaders” will see to it that as little as possible, if anything, will be disclosed. Who knows if the connections of TIZ THE LAW will bring it on…?
Somebody on another site said hold all tickets for drug test results. Wanda..I hope Thousand Words is ok. He went down on his head and shoulder.
Nancy, I hope THOUSAND WORDS is okay also. Hairline fractures could be possible but will the owner(s) cough up the money to pay for X-RAYS??? Between the abuse of being trained for racing and being doped by Bob Baffert and company, who knows for sure what the outcome will be, except that it seems like a no-brainer that the horse will end up injured and killed. It is a matter of time, unfortunately.
To all those in the horse racing industry and those who participate in this heinous sport…how could you? Do you not think the God who created you is watching?
“A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.”
Proverbs 12:10 AMP
https://www.bible.com/1588/pro.12.10.amp
My heart cries for these horses, whose lives lost for the sport of horseracing. Mind blowing are the stats on every one of these horses that was posted on this page. Thank you, Patrick, for your endearing non-stop work to make sure these horses deaths are published and known for all here to read! I watched the derby yesterday, was watching Tiz the Law, what a beautiful and laid back horse, those eyes, remind me of Rachel Alexander. Bob Baffert and his wife both look like they have put on weight. Both his horses acting up on the paddock and winners circle, God be with both of those horses, Amen!!
All horse racing is violent and cruel. What humans ask of horses, actually many animals, all in the name of money is HORRIFIC. Dog racing ~~ same thing ~~ UGH 😢
The devastating injuries shown in this piece are sickening and beyond belief of what anyone should EVER be allowed to put an animal through. It is clear in many of those injuries, they weren’t even fully seen until the horse was dead. If this isn’t criminal, I don’t know what is.
I watched the Derby intermittently all day – NOT because I want to support this vile industry, but to see how the announcers were putting spin on it this year, with so few attendees, and to see if any horses were injured in all the races. Listening to them discuss each horse, now that I know so much more from being a member of this group, I had chills when I would hear them say “this filly has been in 10 races and didn’t win any”…..and things like that. I can imagine what those horses are put through and what their end will be and NONE of it is good.
Watching the handful of idiots at the Derby, with their ridiculous hats and attire, any rational person would wonder about the mental state of people behaving this stupidly. The announcer’s screeching, especially at the end of the Derby race, was nothing less than insane, trying to drum up desperate excitement when no one was there. Fat Bob Baffert and his creepy family looked like a Mafia don and cohorts. When he mentioned the broken arm of one of this trainers, I thought of the multiple injuries all these horses get all the time and wondered if anyone gave a damn about any of THEIR injuries. The obvious answer is “NO.”
Most disturbing to me was the feature on the 2 black gentlemen who owned a horse in one of the races, and the urging for more black involvement. This is no different than the way the tobacco industry tries to cultivate black smoking – with subliminal billboards in black neighborhoods and tobacco money funding community activities just to draw them in. Racing was just another outgrowth of slavery for blacks, and of ALL people, with enslavement and abuse in their history, they should NOT do this to another creature. Unfortunately, as someone involved in animal rights for 40+ years, I am concerned that as a group, black people have always been vastly underrepresented in animal/environmentally issues and are ripe for being played by the wrong people, especially because of the money being dangled in front of them. I would venture a guess that not one member of this group is a person of color, and I hope I am wrong, but I don’t think so.
I wonder if there has been a financial impact of the virus on this disgusting industry this year that could help put a dent in it.
Regardless, it is truly time for it to END. No reform, no restructure….it needs to END.
Aside from the dreadfully ghastly photos, the descriptions of the injuries assault my senses like being hit with a two-by-four. They are all just sickening. One in particuar just boggles my mind. I’m not just a former racing fan, I’m a life-long horse-lover and horsewoman, and when I read this– Magic Mangus, August 17, Monmouth R (euthanized August 31) “right dorsal displacement; [also:] laminitis, pneumonia, colic”), I just shook by head in disbelief. This horse not only suffered a right dorsal displacement, but was stricken with laminitis, pneuonia AND colic? How could the trainer (or owner!) NOT be aware that this poor animal was suffering horribly! Patrick, this information cannot not sit on this website. It has to be brought to the attention of people who have been dragging their feet and pushing against ending this horror. What can we, as concerned citizens, do to help? Can we come together and demand to meet with those who are forming a so-called commission to protect horses. Tell us how we can move forward? Margaret Mead, a famous American anthropologist, once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” We might be small, but we are solidly aligned in our concern for, and demand that race horses STOP being treated like commodities with no regard for their pain and suffering.
ladypurr9,
I appreciate you pointing out the sadistic cruelty inflicted on the horse named MAGIC MANGUS. I agree that the information about the horrific injuries and inhumane atrocities to horses should not just sit on this website.
Anyone that could run a horse with so many different internal injuries and illnesses should be arrested immediately and sentenced to prison for a long, long time. I wish! This industry is so morbidly cruel and brutally inhumane!!!!
What these people do to horses is unbelievable because in true horsemanship these things would never happen! These people do not deserve government subsidies to continue their abuse and assault on horses!!!!
abs314, I agree, accuracy is very important.
Also, the WSJ, World Watch, 5 Sept. reported a spokesman for New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries said the country is TEMPORAIRLY halting new cattle livestock-export applications while it TRIES TO UNDERSTAND what happened during the journey. I swallowed hard when I read that!
Just like in racing, these people don’t get it! Something that is fundamentally wrong can’t be fixed.
Rose, our accuracy is the best tool we have to make a dent in all the misinformation and lies by the various animal abusers. When we as a group have a solid reputation for truth, we have a better chance of people listening to us, believing us and turning toward us with interest. That’s when we have an opportunity to change minds. But only when those minds are ready to HEAR us.
I think the problem with live export is, they are motivated solely by profit and they do not give animals any consideration other than as a commodity. Perhaps 99% is monetary and MAYBE 1% is how to export animals with some degree of humaneness, since they have to account somewhat to the public.
I don’t even think that 1% margin exists in horseracing and some other abuse industries.
I believe what is fundamentally wrong is US. There is such a small handful of humans who are evolved enough to KNOW that these wrongs are beyond toleration and that the love of money is the root of every evil and every cruelty.
One thing I heard mentioned during the race was mention of some fund for handicapped jockeys. I didn’t hear anything about a fund for injured horses.
Absolutely Horrific!
Why isn’t on the ballot this November to make horse racing illegal? That is the only hope I see to win against money.
Unfortunately, it’s not that easy, Sharyn. But we are working on initiatives in several states.
I thought, growing up as a kid, that racing was what these horses loved to do and they bonded with their rider. Perhaps that is the way that it was, I’d like to think so, but now, we have totally lost our way of things, our cruelty and greed seems to know no boundaries. When most all of nature works with nature, it is man who defiles everything. Whatever happened to grace?
Stop torturing and killing these innocent animals. This all must end.
I wanted to repost this post and the comments.
In my comment, I refer to all of the multiple doping violators and racehorse killer “Trainers” in the 2020 Derby and what has changed?
Absolutely nothing.
In fact, Teflon Bob got away with another doping scandal yet again only this time it was the morphine patch.
Wanted to point out that a former African-American lady, Shauntrice Martin, who worked as a Security Guard at Churchill Downs for a few years, is now head of a group that protested this years Derby citing racial justice.
This group is claiming that 1. The Derby and horse racing as a whole is an ingrained racist system. 2. that the majority of local residents in the surrounding neighborhoods can’t afford the festivities of the Derby, but it wrecks havoc on their lives for 1 week a year. 3. the majority of African-Americans in this country including the local KY folk can’t afford to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a racehorse making it an elitist, out of touch, event. 4. that although they brag about the money made that is supposed to be good for the local economy most all African-Americans don’t benefit from these profits and, in fact, it cost the City of Louisville millions paid for by public coffers.
If you take apart their claims every single one of them is 100% correct and the facts prove it.
In Shauntrice’s words “there is a disconnect” between horse racing and their community.
So true, and isn’t it the same all over this country when we have politicians giving horse racing millions in subsidies while our public coffers are on the verge of bankruptcy if not already?
Incidentally, Shauntrice wanted to make clear that she has never nor will ever return to any racetrack because, after working there, she didn’t like what she saw every day, but needed the pay check.
Of course the paid public relations machinery of horse racing clicked in denying these facts citing “tradition.”
Neither killing racehorses, owning slaves, or operating a discriminatory business should be justified as tradition.