Through a FOIA request to the Virginia Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks last year.
Donut Lord, Jul 29, Colonial T
“sudden death – acute cardio-respiratory failure, pleural hemorrhages”; also: “erosive/ulcerative gastritis” (Donut Lord was just two years old)
Belle’s Cachet, Aug 16, Colonial S
“enteritis, extensive hemorrhages in small intestine”
War Film, Aug 30, Colonial R
“[multiple] fractures, multiple fragments within joint, avulsed tendon”
Hail Michigan, Oct 23, Great Meadow R
“fell over a jump and was dead by the [time] vet arrived”
New Member, Oct 23, Great Meadow R
“complete, open, displaced fracture of right metacarpus; suspensory failure”
Great Meadow runs the barbaric steeplechase.
“Dead by the time the vet got there” – one can only wonder how long THAT took.
I thought the same thing. These poor souls are seen as nothing but $$. The people who run these horses to death should be tried and and convicted and SENTENCED TO PRISON.
Felony Animal Cruelty charges should be brought against every single one of the people involved in the abuse and neglect of these horses. It’s time to stop letting serial abusers and killers of horses off the hook. There is absolutely nothing about horseracing that is humane! Horseracing is INHUMANE and means certain agonizing death for so many horses. It’s time to stop the tradition of abusing horses for some psychopaths’ entertainment.