The 6th at Aqueduct yesterday: “Azaria suffered a catastrophic injury nearing the 3/8, buckling and losing the rider as a result, remained upright pulling herself up in distress, was attended to by veterinarian [and] euthanized on track.” Yes, she “pulled herself up in distress.” The chartwriter also added this crucial bit of information: “There was a Stewards’ Inquiry into the incident on the turn before the result was allowed to stand and the race declared official.” Well thank heavens for that. Azaria (below) was a baby (just two) and this was her very first time under the whip.
The day before on the Belmont training track, Town Square, says the Gaming Commission, “[suffered] multiple injuries after another horse collided with him…euthanized on the track.” Imagine that scene. Town, also, was just two years old.
This is the New York Racing Association. This is horseracing.
The replay for race 6 was on the NYRA for a while. About 10 minutes later race was unavailable. Guess someone decided we don’t need viewers seeing the sad sad scenario.
There is something seriously wrong with people that ride yearlings and promote and perpetuate the practice of riding yearlings and forcing them to perform as racehorses in training. There is something seriously wrong with the people who race 2-year-olds! Two-year-old colts and fillies are only one-third of the way to maturity. Since racing robs underdeveloped colts and fillies of the chance to become mature, racing must be punishable by law as abuse! People who are attempting to profit from the abuse and killing of horses are NOT practicing TRUE HORSEMANSHIP!!!!!
Racing 2-year-old colts and fillies is another form of animal abuse! These horses are still babies! This is a crime and the owner and trainer should be punished by law!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Colleen! I completely agree! Plus, the whole racing industry needs to be shut down because it’s all based on starting colts and fillies out under saddle and rider as Yearlings and racing them as Two-year-olds.
I wonder when all the other racing commissions and states (outside New York) will figure out that they can be equally transparent about their kills, and it still wouldn’t change their bottom line?
Horseplayers and racing fans don’t care in the least about equine fatality rates. Duh. So then why all the dead horse hiding, guys? Just take a page from NY, and publicly admit (most of?) your killings: Nothing bad will happen to you, at least as far as your customers are concerned. (Of course, your honesty in these matters will only serve to contradict all previous industry propaganda. AND it will further alienate the general public, who’ve come to realize what a brutal, drug-fueled, archaic slaughterfest racing is…)
So, on second thought…
One admission of a particular killing of a certain horse could lead to another admission of something somebody did and/or is still doing now. Before you know it, the Federal Bureau of Investigation would have to be contacted. (How many ongoing investigations are there of the various illegal activities committed by cruel, heartless people in horseracing?) The illegal use of legal drugs, usually pain-killing drugs to keep horses on their feet and walking without limping, and the causing of harm to horses in the form of injecting illegal substances, especially Performance Enhancing Drugs, would be the subject of which no cowardly horse-abusing, horse-doping, horse-killer would want to have the FBI knowing about if they could keep it a secret. These people are sort of like Hit & Run drivers; except a lot worse.
At least the agencies responsible for prosecuting hit and run drivers don’t spend their time trying to make the felons seem less numerous (and callous) than they actually are.
Part of why I said horse-killers are a lot worse is because with Hit & Run drivers, you can call the police and a local police Officer does an investigation. How often do the police get involved when horses are killed at a race track? (Rhetorical question.) Who’s going to call any law enforcement agency of any kind when these horses are killed other than when there is evidence of laws being broken involving the illegal use of drugs and illegal drugs being used on horses and racketeering & race fixing? If the person or persons (Stewards or Commissioners) responsible for making sure that “every” licensed trainer is following the rules of racing (seriously, they do have rules) is in on the corruption and racketeering, then the whole racketeering operation becomes a monster. (Past tense in so many cases.)
I live behind the training track and sirens at the track are nothing new but the sirens this day that town square was killed blared for almost a half hour I knew that it was bad. I wonder what happened to the horse that caused the accident no mention of him or her RIP TOWN SQUARE.
Gonna go out on a limb and guess the other equine victim will disappear off the face of the earth. I very much doubt s/he got out unscathed. And even if so, Belmont officials will be unlikely to want to keep the poor animal around:(
The breeder of this beautiful filly AZARIA is STONESTREET THOROUGHBRED HOLDINGS, LLC owned by matriarch Ms. Barbara Banke.
Ms. Barbara Banke’s TB holdings include some of the most regal, blueblood broodmares IN THE WORLD and she’s paid MILLIONS for them.
Yet, she’s a smart lady, an attorney, who owns one of the most successful wineries in the USA called Kendall-Jackson and La Crema wineries.
Ms. Banke also owns a full scale TB facility in Ocala, FL called Stonestreet Training and Rehabilitation Center where most of the babies are broke and begin training among other things.
Nevertheless, I can’t, for the life of me, understand why this smart lady breeds, and provides beautiful fillies like AZARIA to a business that kills horses.
Nor can I understand how she continues on after lots of her racehorses in training or racing have died under Todd Pletcher, Mike Maker, and others.
I reviewed the many workouts that AZARIA was forced to endure and it’s one of the most grueling schedules for a baby filly that I’ve ever seen and it’s a disgusting shame.
How can this smart lady watch a filly that she bred get abused like that and do nothing?
Ms. Banke – why, why, why?
I can’t help but think that her horse business is a huge tax-write off and social status symbol.
Probably right, but my goodness there are so many other positive and beneficial things to do on this planet with your millions, that still gets you a tax write-off and social status, without facilitating, providing, and contributing to the mass suffering and dying of living beings.
Ms. Banke has had so many racehorses, that she’s bred or bought, have horrific breakdowns during training hours or racing under Todd Pletcher that you would think any intelligent person with a heart would immediately say “enough” and walk away.
She regularly tweets out about her racehorses that have horrific breakdowns with the regular common accolades something like “gone to the rainbow bridge,” or “we will bring her home to heal,” etc. etc.
It never ceases to amaze me how people go to no lengths to gain social status especially at the expense of hundreds of racehorses.
They should be ashamed not proud of this.
Morally depraved people who are incapable of empathy for the horses should be arrested for felony animal cruelty!
Indeed, and to hand over your horse to repeat doping offenders and serial racehorse killers like Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, Steve Asmussen etc. is often a foregone horrific end.
Here’s just a snapshot of some of Ms. Banke’s many victims and this industry.
Some were listed under the many Kill Lists posted herein, but the ones prior to this site obviously not listed before now.
FYI, I actually skipped about 10 pages of her racehorses and ended my overview because it literally made me sick to my stomach and to think that this intelligent lady continues to facilitate and support this blood bath defies logic and basic human emotions.
CAVORTING “retired due to injury.” Status unknown (SU)
LA CREMA (named after her winery) “bled” “vanned-off” now I know somebody personally who was working the stable area that day back in 2005 and she said this filly was bleeding out from everywhere and actually choking on her own blood which is why she had to be “vanned-off.” SU, but was told she died.
ROCK FALL horrific breakdown at Keeneland in front of the grandstand under “trainer” Todd Pletcher. I know an Exercise Rider who was on the track that morning and he had to take 2 days-off after directly witnessing this racehorse snapping both his front legs-off. He said it was one of the most heartbreaking and traumatic events of his entire life. DEAD.
GOLDEN JULIA “non-racing” “distressed in stall” “acute blood loss” “investigation initiated,” and where’s the outcome? Not a word shuttered after this just another “investigation” leading to their piles of manure. How in the hell does this happen? Off all my years in this business I’ve never witnessed such abuse in my entire life and how did nobody see this happen or even have a hint during the day or evening feed time that this filly was sick and/or in distress? Unfuc**gbelievable! DEAD!
KAUAI CALLS $2 million purchase. “stopped” and forced to endure 1 more race then disappears. Gone to her broodmare band evidently.
FOREST FORTUNE. $180,000 purchase. “bad step” “vanned-off” under Todd Pletcher then subsequently dumped at sale then disappears. SU
WILD UNION $400,000 purchase. Showed nothing. Dumped. Shows up in $5000 claiming race under different owner and then disappears. SU
SIR DYNAMITE. $400,000 purchase. Showed nothing. Dumped in Camden under different owner then disappears. SU
AMERICAN ROCK $310,000 purchase. Showed nothing. Dumped. Shows up in Delaware under different owner running for a ham sandwich ($5000) where he DNF “pulled up in distress.” You can pretty much surmise that both Ms. Banke and the trainer Steve Asmussen knew that something was wrong with this horse, but dumped it for another round of abuse and he paid with his life.
STONESTREET STAR. $800,000 purchase. Showed nothing. Dumped. Shows up under different ownership for $12,500 then disappears off the radar. SU
FORTUNE’S PRAISE. $375,000. Shows nothing. Dumped. Running for bottoms under different owners at Turfway Park. Disappears off the radar. SU
CAPE SEATTLE. $290,000. Shows nothing. Dumped. Running for bottoms under different owners at Delta Downs then disappears. SU
HURRICANE HAL. $650,000. Shows nothing. “stopped” in last race. Disappears.
WHARTON $485,000. Shows nothing. Disappears. SU
HAILEY d’ORO. $650,000. Shows nothing. Disappears. SU
SMARTY BURNS. $900,000. Shows nothing Disappaers. SU
K J WARRIOR. $575,000. Shows nothing. SU.
A LA LUNA $275,000. Shows nothing in 2 starts. Disappears. SU
How’s that for “loving them like family?”
Downright delusional, shameful and rather repulsive.
Gina, this list truly is sickening!