Through a FOIA request to the Maryland Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks thus far this year. (Because the details, including vet testimony, are so powerful – and damning – I will post in multiple installments so as to give each death its proper due.)
Military Commander, Jun 6, Pimlico R
“Military Commander suffered catastrophic [breakdown]: fetlock completely dropped to ground, [multiple] fractures, significant soft tissue disruption. The proximal edge of the fractured condyle came through the skin after the horse was placed in splint and allowed to bear on limb to load on ambo.” Also: “stomach ulcers [and] severe degenerative joint disease.” Military was three years old.
Kens Lady, Jun 20, Pimlico R
“The horse sustained a catastrophic injury and fell to the track.” Dr. Daniel: “When I arrived at the scene, I assessed…and determined quickly that she would need to be euthanized as she had an open, degloving fracture/dislocation of her LF fetlock.” Also: “stomach ulcers [and] degenerative joint disease.” Kens Lady was three years old.
Sweet Sassafrassy, Jun 20, Pimlico R
“The hind legs of Kens Lady clipped [Sweet Sassafrassy’s] front legs out from under her causing her to fall. [She] thrashed several times and ended up [recumbent]. Scapula shattered into [six] pieces. Euthanized [after being loaded and unloaded on/from ambulance two separate times].” Also: “gastric ulcers and severe degenerative joint disease [all four limbs].” Dr. Dilodovico also notes: “The filly had scars on both front legs from an incident as a baby.” Sweet was five years old.
Sweet Sassafrassy lost her balance (when hind legs clipped her front legs) causing her to fall. In my experience, when a horse is galloping in a horse race and suddenly loses his balance he inevitably falls and it’s nearly always that his shoulder breaks resulting in his death.
Sweet Sassafrassy may well have been a healthy horse, however, the pressure she experienced (and likely being forced with the whip to go faster) in the race caused her legs to be out of sync. It would’ve been horrible for her knowing that there was nothing she could do to prevent herself from falling.
And then the excruciating pain, trauma and fear that followed. Desperately wanting to stay alive….
IT IS so demented and DEGENERATE that this perverted industry continually exploits baby horses by locking them up in stalls which is completely unnatural and detrimental to the health and well-being of horses and then forces young colts and fillies to gallop FAST carrying weight. The NO-BRAINER CONSEQUENCE OF THESE PERVERTED ACTIONS IS INJURED AND DEAD HORSES.
The morally depraved, money-grubbing, horse-abusing, horse-killing, gambling DEGENERATES in this PERVERTED GAMBLING BUSINESS think somebody else should support their FILTHY HABITS OF ANIMAL CRUELTY, BUT THEY DON’T ADMIT TO THE OBVIOUS!!!!!!!!
The horseracing people have so many horses that they have INJURED AND KILLED ON PURPOSE BECAUSE IT’S A NO-BRAINER THAT RACING CAUSES FATAL INJURIES TO HORSES and once in awhile a JOCKEY gets INJURED, permanently paralyzed, or killed. The jockeys have a choice, but how ethical is It FOR THE OLDER ADULT HUMAN PERVERTS to put a teenager on a fast moving horse knowing the risk of injury and death to both the horse and the rider??????
It’s COMPLETELY UNETHICAL TO EXPLOIT BABY HORSES OR young people for the sick perverted thrill that these sick, perverted, demented, DEGENERATE people get out of knowingly and willfully BRUTALIZING BABY HORSES FOR GAMBLING and racing!!!!!!!
BAN HORSERACING EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t understand why and how these horses received such terribe injuries, are they ran too hard or is it not good examinations by vets? No matter how these injuries happened I blame all involved with the horses’ care! There is absolutely no good reason for all the injuries and deaths of so many racehorses that occur every day on racetracks!
What a bunch of butchers! Is cruelty the middle name of Horseracing???! The “Racing Commission> in Maryland must be a group of demented sadists’!