Last week on U.S. flat tracks (racing only):
Graceful Holiday “vanned off” at Indiana
River Sonata “vanned off” at Parx
Nileator “vanned off” at Parx
Princess Power “vanned off” at Thistledown
Eskendulce “vanned off” at Thistledown
Count Them Again “vanned off” at Zia
O’Haire “returned bleeding from the nostrils” at Thistledown
Astute Warrior “vanned off” at Arapahoe
Joyrunner “vanned off” at Delaware
Enjoyitwhilewecan “went wrong, vanned off” at Keeneland
Maliciosa “vanned off” at Penn
Infinite Reward “collapsed past the wire” at Charles Town
It’s a Deal “fell, DNF” at Delta
Beyond Streetsmart “vanned off” at Hawthorne
Castle “vanned off” at Santa Anita
Higher Flyin Eagle “bled, vanned off” at Will Rogers
Turko “broke down, vanned off” at Arapahoe
Sharp Prospect “pulled up in distress, vanned off” at Belmont
Mo Delirio “vanned off” at Lone Star
Wild Cat Canyon “vanned off” at Los Alamitos
Frost Warning “vanned off” at Fresno
Tizaladybug “vanned off” at Hawthorne
Jillian’s Star “vanned off” at Keeneland
Luca’s Ride “fell, vanned off” at Los Alamitos
While not all the “vanned” end up dead, most do, as borne out by our year-end FOIA reports. But even if death is not the ultimate result, the above are victims nonetheless, suffering painful injuries – in the case of the bleeders, pulmonary hemorrhage – so that some men may gamble, others chase pots of gold. (For any new confirmed deaths during the week, please see our running annual list.)
There is a short video of WILD CAT CANYON breaking down during a race at Los Alamitos on YouTube. He didn’t fall but whatever his injuries were slowed him down a lot. Finally, the horse stopped and the jockey jumped off. As he obviously suffered some type of injury to his left hind leg and slowed down, the track announcer said, “WILD CAT CANYON has been retired from the competition.”
Oh, god. “Retired from the competition,” huh? Sounds nicer than “Was injured and pulled up from the Death Race to await his turn with the needle.”
*Michael Wrona (announcer) is such a dutiful employee of Los Al Horse Hell. Ol’ Doc really should give him a raise — while he’s still around to mastermind his slaughterhouse empire, that is.
Just another sickening week in the abuse and murder of innocent animals. Aka Horseracing.