Filly Killed on Saratoga’s Second Day

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An article in the (Albany) Times Union Wednesday notes that with pandemic restrictions ended, “there is talk of [Saratoga] setting new records for attendance and handle” this summer. Trainer James Bond: “I think the place is ready to explode. Every person I have talked to about Saratoga can’t wait to get here and get going. I think it’s going to be a coming-out party like they’ve never seen before.” NYRA’s Dave O’Rourke added: “We encourage fans to join us for the start of a season to remember.”

Curiously, though, not a word was written or spoken on what all this giddy excitement will cost. I’m not talking, of course, about the cost NYRA incurs to stage this event. I’m talking about the cost that is measured in lives. I’m talking about the 15 horses that history says will be killed at Saratoga this summer. I’m talking about the 3-year-old filly Strong Moment in the 10th yesterday – just the second day of the meet:

“STRONG MOMENT was hustled from the start, dropped back leaving the backstretch, saved ground on the turn, suffered a catastrophic injury to her left foreleg inside the furlong marker and fell then was euthanized on the course.”

As to that “hustled from the start,” prominent veterinarian Sid Gustafson wrote (Twitter): “Strong Moment broke down two strides after a brutal whipping.” “A brutal whipping” – consider that while reading through all those prayers and wishes to the injured jockey, Luis Cardenas. By the way, I’d show it but the suits at NYRA decided that animal cruelty/murder doesn’t quite square with “a season to remember”:

For the record, while Strong Moment is the first racing victim, she is the third overall, as Saratoga has already notched a training death (Mister Bobby, May 13) and a stall death (Trucking Baron, June 29). In other words, right on pace, folks.

13 Comments

  1. I wonder how many of those in attendance will remember Strong Moment after the season.
    Or any of the 15 or so who will DIE for their ” entertainment”.
    I thank (ahead) the protesters tomorrow at Saratoga and Pimlico. And todays at Monmouth.
    Hopefully some education and truths will be learned.

      • Spectrum news one has it. Type in horse name, and it will be there along with jockey news. The ones who send me are “kill racing not horses “

        • It took a few tries but eventually we were able to view the severe whip strikes that filly received as well as her sliding for some distance after falling. These kinds of events we wish could be shown far & wide to the unknowing general public. The public needs to know what their tax dollars & subsidies are being spent on.Thanks for explaining how to find this tragic video of this young horses death.

      • Patrick. The vast majority, if not all, of NYRA races (including those awful & tragic races with horse deaths/spills/etc) at both Belmont & Saratoga are actually shown on the NYRA’s Youtube channel of their videos Saratoga Live (aired both live & afterwards via replay on NYRA’s Youtube channel) & Belmont Live. NYRA also has Aqueduct Live, but not every day like they do at both Belmont & Saratoga.

  3. It is interesting that a prominent veterinarian would tell the truth more like it really is: “hustled along from the start” translates into “brutal whipping” which is a kind of educational piece right there for anyone who is not familiar with the euphemisms to cover up how cruel and barbaric this bloodsport really is.
    She broke down two strides after a brutal whipping. It makes me feel that this filly should not have been allowed to race at all, let alone be brutally whipped. I mean the track vet or whichever kind of veterinarian has the responsibility to scratch horses should have scratched STRONG MOMENT. Aren’t veterinarians knowledgeable enough to make a determination about the horse’s skeletal system? I know that they are paid to fill races after all is said and done. At least, one prominent veterinarian said what happened (brutally whipped) as opposed to the chartwriter’s choice of words (hustled along from the start), but just saying the truth about what happened after it happened is not enough! This heinous cruelty needs to be stopped in order to prevent the unnecessary injuries and deaths of horses.
    Aside from the horses suffering and dying at Saratoga, the pandemic is not really over. With the new variant creating a high number of people getting sick with the Coronavirus and not all people have been vaccinated, it’s very possible that the Saratoga racing meet could create a new scourge of positive cases. Anyone of these people in attendance who do get sick can remember where they were before they got sick and remember it was Saratoga…
    So go ahead and have your coming-out party like you’ve never had it before. It is the humans’ choice. Along with the killing of racehorses, some human beings may possibly suffer the consequences of a so-called coming-out party at Saratoga.
    #HorseracingisAnimalCruelty
    #Endhorseracing
    #endhorseracingNOW

  4. Saratoga’s “season to remembered” should be remembered for it’s second race of the season, when disgusting jockey: Luis Cardenas whipped to death another magnificent horse that had to be euthanized on the race track because of “catastrophic” injuries caused by a brutal whipping. Horse racing kills and must be outlawed!

  5. These jockeys are brutes, sadistic little money grabbers that abuse horses with impunity. And racing approves of the cruelty because it is all about winning no matter the cost in terms of horses lives and shear terror.
    Yes indeed, it will be a summer to remember for the brutal killing of horses!!!
    Everyone knows there is no accountability for the most obscene cruelty and killing of horses .
    Further, racing can take down a video because it shows the truth?!!. Are race replays not public record ? This practice should, at least, be legally challenged…..

  6. I wonder how many people are thinking of returning to Saratoga after that horrific tragedy. Strong Moment was special just like all the horse’s. NYRA just moves on like any other day as long as the gamblers keep coming. Horse’s don’t matter to NYRA. Money matters and always will.

  7. I wish the news media would cover more of this, so that the general public knows what is going on.

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