Through a FOIA request to the Delaware Dept. of Agriculture, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks in 2021. Please note, however, that after being questioned, the Department said this about the list: “The information you were provided reflects all deaths at Delaware tracks in 2021. There were no stall deaths.” No stall deaths – in a word, impossible. In any event, here is what I do have.
Djokovien, Feb 23, Dover R – “severe, acute pulmonary hemorrhage coming off track”
I Like My Boss, Mar 9, Dover R – “catastrophic fracture coming off track”
Bobby the Greek, Apr 26, Harrington R – “sudden cardiac arrest”
I Love Pearls, May 8, Delaware T (euthanized May 17) – “fractured tibia”
Prettyhappy, May 16, Delaware T – “sudden death – heart attack” (three years old)
Fine N Dandy, May 22, Delaware T – “RF fracture”
Struttinbuck, Jun 3, Delaware T – “fractured ankle”
Splash, Jun 19, Delaware R – “sudden death” (two years old; chart: “stopped abruptly”)
Step Back, Jun 24, Delaware T – “condylar fracture” (being prepped for first race)
Divine Interventio, Jul 24, Delaware R – “fracture, rupture” (53rd race)
Spanish d’Oro, Jul 29, Delaware T – “severe leg injuries and open cuts”
Awesome At Riedes, Aug 4, Delaware T – “fractured shoulder”
Verbien O. P., Sep 18, Delaware R – “compound shoulder fracture”
Maracaibo, Oct 7, Delaware R – “condylar fracture”
Bluegrass On Tap, Oct 18, Delaware T – “pastern fracture”
She’s Luckyinlove, Oct 27, Delaware R – “shoulder fracture” (second ever race)
I think this list is the tip of the iceberg of horses killed in Delaware in 2021. It stands to reason that there were more horses killed in a 12-month period of time in the State of Delaware. I can only imagine how they determine which horses to sweep under the rug and not list. If they have “two sets of books” on recording horse fatalities at Delaware racetracks, this list is the one that was “polished up” for the Freedom Of Information Act requests. I wonder how these people deal with the Internal Revenue Service?
No horse deserves the abuse and neglect of being exploited from birth to death. Horseracing is too cruel.
High profile racehorses like MEDINA SPIRIT, trained by Bob Baffert, or ones who are upper level stake horses get all the attention when they suffer catastrophic injuries and they account for only about 10% of the active racehorse population.
It’s difficult for horse racing to hide these kills especially when news media is covering the race like when MONGOLIAN GROOM suffered a catastrophic injury during the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita.
The other 90% are never given pro-horse racing headlines when they drop dead in the dirt and would die in anonymity if they weren’t listed on the Kill Lists found here.
Some of the racehorses in the 90% category were once high level stake horses who made more than enough money for a safe retirement (CHRIS AND DAVE, RUNS FOR LUCK), but instead are dumped into claiming hell where the parasites in horse racing claim them for the sole purpose of squeezing every last dime out of them until they get claimed again or drop dead.
RUNS FOR LUCK was dumped into claiming after making over $500,000, changed hands about 7 times and ended up running in the bottoms where parasite Patricia Farro claimed him.
After only 2 weeks in her killing barn he suffered collapse and died with the kill confirmed on HRW.
That’s what horse racing deliberately and maliciously does to racehorses whom they claim to love and they do it all the time because claiming and killing are all daily business practices that they accept as normal.
There are thousands of racehorses who die in total anonymity on the slaughterhouse floor every year and some of them were once high level stake horses like FERDINAND who won the Kentucky Derby only to meet a horrific fate in a Japanese slaughterhouse in 2002.
This multibillion dollar business, who also receives hundreds of millions in taxpayer-funded subsidies, does little to provide a safe retirement for their racehorses and, in fact, openly admit that they need the slaughterhouse.
.
Gina Powell – Amen.
Well, that didn’t take long …. race 2 Tampa Bay.