The world-famous Saratoga Summer Meet doesn’t start till next month – but the killing shall not wait one more day. Range War went down while “breezing” this morning, and is dead. The British import, trained by the $430-million-earning Todd Pletcher, was just three years old. He was being prepped for his debut.
With the two kills reported today (Dini’s Destiny), the New York Racing Association, super busy these days fighting off a subsidy bill that would deprive it (and the rest of NY Racing) of millions in state largess, can now boast 33 kills on the still-young year.
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”
Didi’s Destiny, Jun 2, Belmont R – “got vanned off, x-rayed, euthanized”
Range War, Jun 3, Saratoga T – “injured while breezing” (being prepped for first race)
No chin Todd, strikes again. How many more does it have to take? 🤮 Make it go away 😥
There are innumerable offenses horse owners and breeders inflict on these precious creatures. Overbreeding, fed food that makes them grow too fast this weak structure. Doping. Medications that shorten their lives. Training too hard. For what? Money! Fame! Horse racing is fraudulent, disgusting…… killer .
Bred in Britain. Comes across the pond … gets killed.
Another one dead, NY? Every time I see the New York Gaming Commission forced to admit another one (or three) of their kills, I think about what a colossal task awaits the industry insiders at (the comically-named) HISA. They’ve spent the better part of their careers HIDING racehorse deaths to help themselves get to their lofty positions as FEDERAL horse racing (ha ha!) “regulators.”
And, now that they’re about to go live with the (again, ha ha!) “Integrity” portion of their program, they’ve left all the horse-killers in the entire industry with no idea whatsoever how they’re supposed to handle any and all of their FATALITIES REPORTING:
Is HISA planning on letting the public know almost every time another equine victim is vanned off to near-certain death, as New York does? Or, rather, are they going to do as the other racing jurisdictions do, and scuttle all the carnage behind the curtain of PRIVACY and PROTECTION? (Well, privacy and protection for the human connections of the dead, that is.)
I’m guessing the latter, which probably means we’re quickly nearing the end of NY’s “Breakdown” database. I imagine HISA officials are none too pleased with this transparency, and will be eager to nix it.
They’re all about the I-word, after all.
saratoga, is the most overrated sac there has ever been. You’ll have the usual born there talking heads saying how awesome it is …. Andy Serling and such … the truth remains it’s an evil spit them out and chew them up , same as the Thistledown’s and such. The fact is there is NO difference between any of them, it’s NO different than using dogs for gambling. Only difference is you’ll pay sick as s**t overpriced bills in overrated ‘toga’. Where in REALITY you could get better meal in West Virginia. I kid you not …. #Greenbrier(America’s Resort). I know, I’ve been to both.
Is anyone keeping a database of the licensed trainers including their assistant trainers and how many horses each trainer and assistant trainer has killed?
For example, if there were a database of trainers and assistant trainers, which one would be the deadliest? I think Peter Miller in California and his assistant trainer would be somewhere near the top of that list.
Wanda, Peter Miller …. destroyer of lives and souls.
He allegedly was going to take time off as a trainer (I’m sure you remember this, Bonnie) and let his assistant trainer take over the duties of “trainer” and all that, but he was still going to do this and this and this and all that, you know.
Just recently, there was an article about the CHRB accusing him of carrying on the duties of an active licensed trainer. So, did he let up on his killing spree or not? I tend to think maybe he didn’t kill any horses during his pretense of taking time off, but I have my doubts!!! I’m not sure how most people would know for sure as long as Frank Stronach and the CHRB are in charge of keeping horse kills mum.