The abuse prior to being killed…

Texas Girl was born April 26, 2019. Her first of five “career” races was last Feb 24 at Laurel: 15 lengths back. Apr 1: 11 back. Aug 17, now at Delaware: 27 back. Sep 15: 17+ back. And finally, Oct 21: fractured pelvis, dead. Along the way – again, just 3 1/2 years of life – she was owned by no fewer than three men, and trained by at least two.

Paltarrevenge broke down Oct 27 at Mahoning. The story here, though, is what came before, for you see Paltar was 12 years old the day he died – and this was his 91st race.

Because Ohio only provides a single page with little detail, I am unable to offer specifics on Paltar’s body at the end. But with other states, we see time and again 4-, 3-, even 2-year-old horses dying with chronic conditions like osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease (not to mention the ubiquitous stomach ulcers). So one can only imagine how poor Paltar – again, 12 when he died – was suffering.

In addition, Paltar was shuffled around like the legal chattel he was: By my count, he was subjected to at least nine trainers and, including breeder Harold Plumley, some seven owners. Paltar’s final exploiters, Jeffrey Radosevich and Michael Friedman, were hellbent on squeezing every last dime out of his surely battered body: He was raced nine times over the final 5 1/2 months of his life. And, of course, he was “For Sale” prior to each one, culminating in a $4,000 tag the day he died. Horrible people.

Hi Millie was born Apr 19, 2019. He was raced nine times in total, all over the course of one year (Jul ’21-Jul ’22), all for one man, owner/trainer James Frangella, and all but one at Monmouth. His finishes in lengths back: 18+, 13, 17+, 44+, 36, 18+, 15+, 25, 17+. Just nine days after that final race, Jul 17, this from my FOIA:

“[Horse was] recumbent on arrival, couldn’t stand, euthanized – a definitive cause for the diarrhea and rapid decline in this horse was not apparent.”

But it’s even worse. Because NJ Racing is now being subsidized, Frangella cashed in in every one of those races – winning, in all but one, $500 per race. He ran this poor boy into the ground – a combined 206 lengths back, or about 23/race – and still banked over $4K. And yes, Frangella had Hi “For Sale” before each of his final five races.

The New Jersey animal-cruelty statutes say, among other things, that the following are “acts constituting cruelty”:

a. (1) Overdrive, overload, drive when overloaded, overwork, abuse, or needlessly kill a living animal or creature…

(2) Torment, torture, maim, hang, poison, unnecessarily or cruelly beat, cruelly abuse, or needlessly mutilate a living animal or creature…

(3) Cause the death of, or serious bodily injury to, a living animal or creature from commission of any act described [herein], by any direct or indirect means…

(4) Fail, as the owner or a person otherwise charged with the care of a living animal or creature, to provide the living animal or creature with necessary care…

c. Inflict unnecessary cruelty upon a living animal or creature, by any direct or indirect means…

d. Receive or offer for sale a horse that is suffering from abuse or neglect, or which by reason of disability, disease, abuse or lameness, or any other cause, could not be worked, ridden or otherwise used for show, exhibition or recreational purposes…

In short, James Frangella is a criminal and should be in jail.

Monmouth Park Comment Form; Racing Office 732-571-5530
New Jersey Racing Commission: Feedback Form; 609-292-0613