Never Had a Chance

More details on some of the 2021 deceased I reported on…

Gracefully was first put to the whip on Mar 7, 2020, at Aqueduct: last of 10, 29+ lengths back. Next time out, Jun 13 at Belmont: “eased, DNF.” She disappeared till April of last year; she was raced thrice that month at Gulfstream: Apr 4, last of 7, 38+ back; 14 days later, 7th of 8, 22+ back; 12 days later, last of 11, 33+ back. Less than a month later, on May 20, the 4-year-old (exactly: it was her “birthday”) was killed training at Gulfstream. She never had a chance. The complicit trainers: Anthony Dutrow (first two races), Padarath Lutchman (last three and death).

Seanshine died on Aug 22 at Arlington: “down in stall, history of progressive hind-end neurologic symptoms going back about one month, euthanized.” Seanshine finished last or second-to-last in each of his final 11 races; in his last race, Jul 23 – about the time he started showing “progressive hind-end neurologic symptoms” – he came in 22 lengths back. His abusers: owner Joseph Keenan, trainer Manny Perez.

A P Rock was first put to the whip on Aug 27 of last year at Gulfstream: last of 8, 29+ lengths back. Three weeks later, same track: 11th of 12, 28+ back. Just ten days after that, killed training at Charles Town. He was three years old; he, too, never had a chance. Owner, Ricardo De Anda; trainer, Brian Lusk.

Dirty Bird died in her stall at Parx on Nov 20 of an undisclosed illness. The FOIA, however, noted that the 5-year-old was not euthanized – i.e., she just died (although it didn’t say, she was most likely found dead). In all, Dirty Bird was raced 37 times. In her final three – Aug 30, Sep 8, Oct 4 – she finished last twice and second-to-last once, a combined 72+ lengths back. A harbinger (of turning up dead), perhaps?

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