Last week on U.S. flat tracks (racing only):
Deserted “vanned off” at Parx
Going With Style “bled” at Santa Anita
Tamarando’s Mine “vanned off” at Turf
Adorable Brittany “vanned off” at Turf
D Oro Canyon “vanned off” at Sunland
Paper Boy “vanned off” at Turf
Missed the Call “vanned off” at Mahoning
Lookin Kinda Crazy “took a bad step, fell” at Parx
Wed O’s Champ “vanned off” at Turf
Run Ballerina “vanned off” at Sam Houston
Dr. Minister “vanned off” at Turf
Achilles “vanned off” at Fair Grounds
Palmach “vanned off” at Gulfstream
Papa Charles “vanned off” at Gulfstream
Frosty Warrior “vanned off” at Gulfstream
Beyound Dreams “vanned off” at Sam Houston
Colby James “vanned off” at Sunland
Brandistyled “vanned off” at Sunland
Majestic Freedom “pulled up, DNF” at Oaklawn (this track hates to reveal anything)
Malibu Mayhem “vanned off” at Santa Anita
Quiero Mas “vanned off” at Turfway
Jaccaci “stopped badly in the stretch” at Turfway
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.)
Horseracing is evil to the core and cannot be reformed.
These weekly listings of horses abused, neglected, and enduring the pain and suffering that only the horses could truly know what it is like, are the tip of the iceberg of the horses abused routinely for horseracing.
There are so many other ways and places that a horse forced into racing or bred for racing can end up being abused, neglected, and discarded like trash or scrap. There are the dead and dying horses bred for racing of various ages somewhere else other than the racetracks that won’t be reported.
There is no reforming evil. EVIL is evil. Horseracing is evil to the core.
Horses are not used cars that are used in a demolition derby. But, horses are exploited for racing and wagering and often end up being injured, crippled for life, and/or killed. This is just wrong and must be punishable by law!
The laws that allow for EXPLOITING horses for Pari-Mutuel gambling, as gambling chips, must be changed!
Re: Oaklawn (and others, I presume) hating to reveal their carnage: I can’t seem to get a straight answer from the fine folks at (the comically-titled) HISA about this very topic. Shouldn’t enforcement of accuracy, INTEGRITY, and transparency in chartwriting be at the forefront of (the hilariously-named) HISA and their SAVE RACING priorities?
Equibase Chartwriters/Callers: If they put a horse down on your super-safe track, CALL IT, right there in the official chart. (Y’all can use “was humanely euthanized,” or “was sent to the green, green pastures of equine heaven,” or whatever BS description you care to come up with that means KILLED, I don’t care.)
If they VAN OFF their (usually) fatally-injured equine victim(s), call it.
If there’s a sudden death during the race — seems to be a popular activity among baby TBs these days — call it.
(Because if you don’t, how will all those benevolent racing fans and bettors know how to bet their victi…er, I mean, “beloved athletes” when they “compete” again?
I sure wish the (humorously-and-optimistically-titled) HISA would clarify the, y’know, uniform STANDARDS (ha ha) of reporting these things.
Kelly, I can see for myself that it is obvious by reading the information on the website of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority that this group of both “independent” members and “industry” members is a very CRUEL joke when it comes to everything that is wrong with horseracing.
It appears that only the “independent” members “…are subject to HISA’s strict conflict of interest restrictions to ensure the Authority’s independence and integrity.” Their statement does NOT specifically state that “industry” members “…are subject to HISA’s strict conflict of interest restrictions…” which means that JEFF BLEA can do anything he wants and still remain an INDUSTRY MEMBER of the ANTI-DOPING AND MEDICATION CONTROL STANDING COMMITTEE???
The gravity of horses being mistreated and being mistreated to the point of BEING KILLED on a daily basis is too much while INDUSTRY MEMBERS are talking out both sides of their mouths.