Racing N Lace, a “vanned off” in the 7th at Los Alamitos Saturday, has been euthanized. She was but two years old; this was her fifth time under the whip. Even as industry apologist John Cherwa of the LA Times has (finally) taken to consistently reporting California deaths, he can’t help but mislead in furtherance of the cause. Of Racing N Lace’s death, Cherwa writes: “Los Alamitos’ nighttime meeting had its 29th racing or training horse death since the season began Dec. 27.” Fact is, 31 horses have now been killed on (racing or training) the Los Al track since December 27 and 12 more back in their stalls. That would be 43 dead horses there in less than a year. 43. Tell the whole truth, John, or say nothing at all.
Saddle Club, Dec 28, Los Alamitos R – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
Ruby Roundhouse, Jan 1, Los Alamitos S – “abscess in LH, colicky for six days…toxic”
Jest Famous, Jan 7, Los Alamitos S – “acute colic, found thrashing and rolling”
Eyell Be Back, Jan 10, Los Alamitos R (euthanized Jan 12) – “carpus”
Katies Easy Moves, Jan 19, Los Alamitos R – “fetlock”
Is It Over, Jan 21, Los Alamitos S – “colic of 24 hours duration”
Radio Tim, Feb 21, Los Alamitos R – “fractured fetlock”
Street Machine, Feb 21, Los Alamitos R – “fractured fetlock”
Chickititas Favorite, Mar 8, Los Alamitos R
Flokie, Mar 29, Los Alamitos R
The Cullinan Dream, Mar 31, Los Alamitos S – “four-day diarrhea prior to death”
Royal Callan Rocks, Apr 2, Los Alamitos T
Chromie, Apr 11, Los Alamitos R
La Dorada Czech, Apr 15, Los Alamitos S – “endotoxemia and/or septicemia”
Shes Our Dasher, Apr 16, Los Alamitos T – “phalanx protruding through the skin”
Isla’s Toy, Apr 17, Los Alamitos R – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
Rowboat Romeo, May 9, Los Alamitos T – “catastrophic fracture; severe hemorrhage”
Tap the Wire, May 9, Los Alamitos R
unidentified, May 24, Los Alamitos T – “comminuted, complete, displaced fracture”
Jabber Now, May 24, Los Alamitos R (euthanized May 26)
Malibu Morning, May 29, Los Alamitos R – “injured, euthanized”
Grimm Resolve, Jun 2, Los Alamitos S
I Love Sorrento, Jun 7, Los Alamitos T
Leggolas, Jun 18, Los Alamitos T
Young Dasher, Jun 23, Los Alamitos S – “severe pneumonia, two weeks duration”
Up and Ready, Jun 26, Los Alamitos S – “acute laminitis following castration”
Equilibrio, Jun 26, Los Alamitos R – “injured, pulled up, euthanized”
Nana Shila, Jun 27, Los Alamitos R – “fatally injured”
Warren, Jul 2, Los Alamitos S – “colic, distended intestine, extensive hemorrhages”
This Is Us, Jul 3, Los Alamitos R – “open fracture, complete luxation of the fetlock”
Jess Bet Me, Jul 5, Los Alamitos R – “[multiple] fractures, [multiple] complete ruptures”
Alltime Favorite, Jul 11, Los Alamitos R (euth Jul 13) – “multiple displaced fractures”
Tacy, Jul 12, Los Alamitos R – “open fracture; complete rupture, [multiple] ligaments”
Bf Field Notes, Aug 7, Los Alamitos S – “spinal cord compression, aortic rupture”
Secret Tonight, Aug 8, Los Alamitos R – “complete fracture of the scapula”
Peek It Up, Aug 22, Los Alamitos R – “injured…requiring euthanasia”
Adriatic Son, Aug 27, Los Alamitos S – “found dead in stall – colon rupture”
Billy the Hott, Sep 5, Los Alamitos R
Bob E McGee, Sep 13, Los Alamitos R – “fell”
unidentified, Oct 11, Los Alamitos S – “cardiovascular”
Hit It Up, Oct 23, Los Alamitos R (euthanized Oct 28) – “[possible] spine injury”
Celtic Miracle, Nov 6, Los Alamitos R
Racing N Lace, Dec 5, Los Alamitos R
Two-year-old Racing N Lace’s FIFTH and last race…
..
It is sickening to see the number of horses each week that are also listed in the CHRB minutes as “injured”, “unsound”, “flipped In gate”, and to see voided claims because the horses were “unsound and returned to previous trainer”.
I can only imagine that many of these horses disappear in anonymity, shipped directly to Mexico, as their owners know they won’t stand up to the rigors of racing, and as we all know, needing a stall for the next victim is what drives the majority of the racing world.
Well done. If they ran on grass as they do in Ireland they would not slip and break their legs.
Dirt, synthetic, grass – doesn’t matter – horseracing is an activity that puts horses at an increased risk of injury and death regardless of the surface they’re being made to race on.
The first horse that comes to mind who broke his leg running on grass – Arms Runner.
https://horseracingwrongs.org/2019/04/05/video-of-arms-runners-death-dangling-ankle-and-all/
The main FAULT lies in the breeders, who created toothpick thin,abnormal legs. People are pains in the asses.
Marie, your comment of suggesting horses would not slip and break their legs on grass is incredibly ridiculous.
Racing itself is what causes horses to get injuries and that includes broken bones. They don’t break bones from slipping. Their bones break from being forced to run at too young of an age, too fast, carrying too much weight, being whipped, being shocked with hidden handheld electrical devices, and all around brutality dished out by greedy, heartless human racing participants. The surface makes some difference in some ways but, in the final analysis, it is forcing horses to run in races that causes so much injury and death. By the way, grass is slicker than dirt.
Ireland kills just as many horses as everyone else. Over 130 last year.
Can we remind everyone the barbaric Steeplechase is run on grass and this past weekend in massive fog as well over in the UK
But we gotta give credit to Mr. Cherwa for inserting some (faked) pessimism about whether the CHRB will actually renew Los Alamitos’ racing license. The esteemed Board has been ominously sowing doubts about their upcoming Big Decision for the last, oh…SIX MONTHS. So, it’ll be amusing to watch them rubber-stamp Los Al’s continued carnage — while pretending to have “serious reservations” about doing so.
Their FAKED drama might be somewhat amusing in some small way, but there is nothing amusing about the brutal exploitation of young colts and fillies for their demented gambling and killing games.
As you know Kelly I worked as an Associate Steward for the CHRB around 2005 and it has been years, not 6 months, that they were discussing the shut down of Los Al due to the horrendous breakdowns.
It was all lip service then as it is now.
Only then it was all sublime not exposed the way it is today and no media covering it.
The rubber stamp has been busy for many years is what I’m saying.
Thanks to HRW and the kill lists they can’t put it out there like before.
The demise of horse racing in California can’t come soon enough for the racehorses and I surely hope that the animal-loving residents of CA shut it down.
Gina , and Kelly….maybe the two of you could answer this honest question from me. How did Florida get dog racing shut down so efficiently? What exactly was their method? Anyone feel free to answer, thank you.
Bonnie, the parallels between (the endings of) U.S. dog racing and U.S. horse racing are fascinating, aren’t they? There’s ALWAYS been a movement to ban both for their cruelty,their sheer waste of lives, and their total dependence on gambling ADDICTION to feed their barbaric industries.
In my opinion, horse racing will be disposed of in much the same way as dog racing: via ballot measure, one state at a time. The movement is no longer just “fringe.” Our culture has developed beyond blood sports — particularly those that involve companion animals. I believe the dog racers were not well equipped to respond to and deal with this evolution in American thinking, whereas the horse manglers are a tiny bit more savvy, (though not savvy enough to survive the double-blow of Patrick AND social media breakdown exposure — neither of which the greyhound killers had working against them.) But their cause was still lost the second the Dog Racing Abolition referendum hit the Florida ballot, because the vast majority of voters were finally able to express their distaste and abhorrence of that whole sleazy business.
Once it’s on the ballot, the same exact thing will happen to California horse racing. We’re just the loud ones right now. But it’s the quiet majority of Cali voters who will happily take their opportunity to send it away for good:)
It seems like it would be logical for the State of Pennsylvania to get a measure on the ballot for a public vote (sooner than California) since the Governor of Pennsylvania has expressed his concern publicly against the funding of horse racing, and instead funding college scholarships to help reduce student loan debt.
The Governor of California has not expressed any genuine concern to stop funding horseracing in California that I know of and same with New York, Kentucky, Florida and every other state that has government subsidized horse racing.
But California racing isn’t even government (taxpayer) subsidized. It’s just state-sanctioned animal cruelty that will be ended by the voters via ballot measure, regardless of who’s Governor. And everyone in the industry knows it, too. They see what happened to the greyhound creeps — and, in a far more conservative political environment — and realize they’re on borrowed time.
Like I said, once it’s on the ballot, Cali animal lovers will pass it by an overwhelming margin:)
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
Thank you Kelly! I’m gonna say this next thing in jest, but…. too bad Corey Booker isn’t our Prez, and had a size able majority, he and his significant other, are huge animal rights activists and vegan. Wouldn’t it be so cool to just get it passed in one fell swoop?! I really believe the country is ready for it. I know today’s twenty-something’s are very into it!!!
State by state, California first is, I think, the best way to go. This way, the industry will be better able to “absorb” their cast-offs, slow down their disgusting breeding practices, allow workers a chance to find better jobs, and gradually begin to save more horses than they kill. I believe the process is as good as done:)