There were no fewer than three horses “vanned off” at Tampa Bay yesterday. While I await confirmations, it’s a good bet that at least one (if not all three) is dead as I write.
race 1: “PINK MAMA…came up empty…and was vanned off the course after the race.”
race 5: “BIZ MAKER…dropped back abruptly while falling…was vanned off the course.”
race 6: “S K FLYER…clipped heels, then fell to the track…and was vanned off the course.” The track announcer said not a word about this:
.
Watched it. It makes you cry reading that the announcer said NOT A WORD about this severe breakdown. Pro forma, of course, but heartbreaking in its premeditated callousness. “Bad for business.”
Martha, I hope there’s a special place in Hell for these evil people forcing the innocent horses to their deaths.
SK Flyer will take a miracle…. please pray,hope,plead to whatever your beliefs are that all 19 come in on all fours today.
Nancy, it really is besides being pure evil,just a shallow,sickening group of people who have no soul,no conscience, and no meaning or purpose in their lives. They are sad little pathetic losers,who “get their rocks off” watching innocents,who have no voice being TORTURED to death. This is what happens when you live an empty life.
Absolutely Bonnie.
So true, Nancy! May our prayers for SK Flyer, the poor horses today (and every day) be answered…but most importantly may this horrific industry DIE a slow, painful death! The time is now!
Andreea,AMEN to that.
Tampa Bay Downs owned by 81 year old, super rich attorney Stella F. Thayer whose had no problem watching thousands of racehorses, over the years, get killed on her track.
Back around 1999 a couple of us including my private vet at the time and his wife started an aftercare program because there were so many unwanted racehorses with nowhere to go.
Two things became abundantly clear to us: 1. there was little to no assistance from the Florida HBPA whose only interest was collecting their millions from horsemen and wagering. 2. Thelma wouldn’t give us sweat off her eyebrows. She said it’s up to the owners to do what they want with their racehorses. Greed at best.
FYI – this information I’m about to provide is from a former announcer at Gulfstream who wants to remain anonymous.
He said that announcers at most tracks now, especially at Stronach-owned tracks, must sign non-disclosure agreements and go through “training.”
They are not to address any breakdown and are immediately supposed to divert attention away from the breakdown and back into the race.
The training dictates to them how to handle a breakdown over the microphone and it’s grounds for suspension without pay if they deviate from this in any way.
After he saw a few horrendous breakdowns he quit and even thought about suing The Stronach Group for a violation of his First Amendment rights, but didn’t proceed with it.
He said that most tracks now require non-disclosure agreements for their track announcers.
No surprise here about sugarcoating the remainder of the race while the horse hearse does its duty. Also Gina, can we assume the people who work the backtrack are sworn to secrecy or else???
That non-disclosure agreement must be a highly guarded contract in itself. The deliberate EVIL involved in horseracing knows no boundaries. This cold-hearted abuse of horses for WAGERING HANDLE and PURSE MONEY must not be funded by our government!!!!!
Isn’t it obvious that the owners and operators of the Stronach Group are completely indifferent to the suffering and killing of racehorses??? Isn’t it obvious that there are no reforms that will be implemented in the exploitation of horses for racing and wagering??? Isn’t it obvious that no greedy, heartless heathen will ever pay any attention to any reforms that will keep any horse from suffering the willful abuse inflicted on Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses??? The horses exploited for racing and wagering are the literal and figurative equivalent of PIECES OF MEAT to these heartless heathens!!!!
Tampa Bay Downs is back to their classic m.o.: Van off three fillies to their near-certain deaths in one race day, then refuse to say one word about any of their obvious outcomes.
There was a brief time when I believed they were experimenting with the concept of transparency. They actually issued a statement, spewed out a press release, posted on social media that a single horse had been euthanized at their facility. Wow, Tampa horse killers: such integrity!
Turns out, this admission was only due to the fact that this particular “incident” (gate carnage, as I recall) took place on Super Bowl weekend. And the NFL’s biggest game, on its biggest stage, on its biggest day took place where? Oh, in Tampa Bay, of course. Too many potential witnesses in town to try to do the usual carnage cover-up. So, they came clean, and actually admitted to ONE horse death.
Of course, it seems now they’re back to their old ways. Admitting nothing. Ever. Even if you kill off SIX of your beloved athletes in one day. Do not speak of any of them. Just keep moving on to that next, all-important death race.
Riders up. Horses down.
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
Horse racing must end!