Injuries and other notes from the stewards at Churchill and Keeneland, two of the most prestigious tracks in the country…
Churchill
Oct 1:
“The claim of Thach was voided when horse was placed on Vet’s List in test barn.”
Oct 2:
“Breaking News faded to finish last and BLED [their emphasis] while in test barn.”
Keeneland
Oct 7:
“My Uncle Leon returned lame and required the horse ambulance.”
Oct 12:
“Martini’nmoonshine was pulled up injured and required the horse ambulance.”
“Mischievous Gal flipped and was injured during the post parade.”
Oct 13:
“Quick to Blame was a late scratch on advice of Commission vet.”
Oct 14:
“Tap N Sway was injured in the paddock and scratched.”
“The claim of Sister’s Ghost was voided when horse was placed on Vet’s List in test barn.”
“Tizride was injured in the paddock and scratched.”
“Cooper Time was eased and required the horse ambulance.”
“The claims of both Almanzo and Impenetrable were voided when horses were placed on Vet’s List in test barn.”
Oct 15:
“Sha Girl was pulled up and required the horse ambulance.”
Oct 16:
“The claim of Garmento was voided when horse was placed on Vet’s List in test barn.”
“Change of Control was a late scratch on advice of Commission vet.”
Out of all of this obvious abuse, brutality and cruelty to horses, the horses that were scratched were spared from death, if only temporarily. This obvious callous disregard for the horses by their owners and trainers is vile, despicable, disgusting, vomit-worthy, unacceptable cruelty to horses, and for what? So somebody can post on social media that their horse “won a race” or “was killed in a race” and “crossed the Rainbow bridge”? Boo-hoo, boo-hoo… Feel sorry for me because… I killed my horse and now I just want attention from people who are okay with this egregious-cruelty-to-horses and won’t hold me responsible…? It’s just one of those things that happens… Right, it’s just one of those things that happens when you are a cold-hearted, horse-doping, demented, degenerate, horse-abusing monster that is incapable of empathy for the horses and just wants to be coddled instead of punished for FELONY ANIMAL CRUELTY!
D. Wayne Lukas, Todd Pletcher, Dale Romans all repeat doping violators, cripplers and killers.
CHANGE OF CONTROL this 6 y.o gelding has more than earned ($953,925) a safe retirement, soft landing, forever home, but this is horse racing.
This multiple graded stakes winner is a former shadow of himself, but if he has one drop of sweat or blood left in him leave it up to this inhumane and brutal business to squeeze it out of him.
His only saving glory is that the state vet (not his private vet) scratched him and to get scratched out of a race a horse has to be very lame and strongly exhibiting signs of it.
How about the owner and trainer who is well aware of what’s going on, but makes the choice to risk this poor racehorse’s life, after making close to $1 million dollars, instead of doing the right thing and bringing him home.
Heartless parasites – every single one of them.
And, remember:
With racehorses, EVERY INJURY becomes a FATAL INJURY when the victim’s owners don’t want to pay for treatment.
Let’s face it: they’re not gonna plunk down $20k for surgery/recovery costs on their poor “investment” who had been a $10k claimer. From that point on, their injured equine victim has only near-certain NEGATIVE value for the owners.
(Best to just sink those costs back into their next breakdown-prone baby. Right, all you racing kings and queens?)
To paraphrase the words of a person who seemed to be commenting as an owner of three dead racehorses, “Money, what money? If there is any money in horseracing, I have not seen it.” But somehow there is a farm with thirty horses that this person might be the owner of…