Two more victims of the New York Racing Association (NYRA), as disclosed by the Gaming Commission:

Life Is Great, Tuesday at Belmont: “had a sudden death [while] recovering from surgery.” In all likelihood, the surgery had something to do with a late-April training session. Life was just three years old.

Daddy Frank, yesterday at Belmont: “collided with rail, could not stand after multiple attempts,” euthanized. He, too, was three years old.

This makes 31 dead horses at NYRA tracks (Aqueduct, Belmont, Saratoga) this year. And the yearly totals since 2009:

2009: 67 dead horses (partial: database went live in March)
2010: 109 dead horses
2011: 85 dead horses
2012: 95 dead horses
2013: 70 dead horses
2014: 79 dead horses
2015: 59 dead horses
2016: 66 dead horses
2017: 78 dead horses
2018: 60 dead horses
2019: 65 dead horses
2020: 83 dead horses
2021: 77 dead horses
2022: 31 dead horses

That, to be precise, is 1024 dead horses at the three NYRA tracks since 2009 (and these are only the ones we know about; surely, there were many more who fell through the cracks). As you can see, the 2020 carnage was the highest since 2012 – when, incidentally, NYRA and the Gaming Commission supposedly implemented a slew of “reforms” designed to curtail the killing. Speaking of which, earlier this year, when a bill was introduced to strip NY Racing of its obscene $230-million-dollar annual gift from taxpayers, Patrick McKenna, NYRA spokesperson, said this:

“NYRA is as healthy today as at any point in recent memory and sets the industry standard when it comes to safety and integrity.”

They lie because they have to: Their product is inherently cruel and inevitably deadly. And more and more, the public is getting it.

NYRA’s 2022 Victims, Thus Far:

Viking Zim, Jan 2, Belmont S – “laminitis”
Dunph, Jan 5, Belmont T – “fracture, lameness, euthanasia”
Cara’s Daydreamer, Jan 8, Aqueduct R – “injured past the wire”
Obsessed, Jan 8, Aqueduct R – “suffered an injury approaching the 3/4 pole”
Winetastic, Jan 20, Aqueduct R – “suffered an injury, euthanized on the track”
Devils Dare, Jan 21, Belmont S – “found in stall unable to stand…euthanized”
Derby Kisses, Jan 25, Belmont T – “suffered a complete P1 fracture”
Minit Maus, Feb 1, Belmont T – “pulled up lame…euthanized”
Pepe’s Pride, Feb 15, Belmont T – “humeral fracture”
Dazzle Time, Feb 18, Belmont S – “inoperable colic”
Happy Medium, Feb 24, Belmont T – “pulled up, splint, ambulanced, euthanized”
Johnny Fontaine, Feb 26, Aqueduct R – “suffered an injury nearing 1/8 pole”
Geno, Feb 26, Belmont T – “suffered an injury while galloping – euthanized”
Herecomesangelina, Mar 14, Belmont T – “collapsed and died” (two years old)
Steadfast Love, Mar 22, Belmont T – “humeral fracture, muscle atrophy”
A Colt Named Susie, Mar 25, Aqueduct R – “suffered an injury…euthanized on track”
Cazilda Fortytales, Mar 26, Aqueduct R – “collapsed fatally” (five years old)
Noble Thought, Mar 26, Belmont T – “injured…euthanized on track”
Five Alarm Robin, Apr 2, Belmont T – “collapsed and died breezing” (five years old)
Lord Licorice, Apr 10, Aqueduct R – “fell heavily, euthanized on track”
Dario’s Angel, Apr 11, Belmont S – “to [hospital] via ambulance, euthanized”
Sister Luck, Apr 14, Belmont T (euthanized Apr 17) – “suspected pelvic fracture”
Green Light Go, Apr 22, Belmont T – “unsalvageable injuries”
Baby I’m Perfect, Apr 28, Belmont R – “sustained an injury at the five-furlong pole”
Cozy Dancer, Apr 30, Belmont S – “injured in stall after getting cast”
Not So Grimm, Apr 30, Belmont R – “vanned off, euthanized in barn”
yet-to-be-named 2-year-old, May 5, Belmont S – “died in his stall”
Fast Getaway, May 5, Belmont T – “injured, ambulanced, euthanized”
Boca Kitten, May 21, Belmont R – “went wrong, struck by foe, euthanized on track”
Life Is Great, May 24, Belmont S – “sudden death [while] recovering from surgery”
Daddy Frank, May 25, Belmont T – “collided with rail”