Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have obtained the following details on 2 of that state’s 64 kills last year (previous ones here).
Silver Lyric, Jun 7, Golden Gate T
“Sudden death on track while galloping, no corneal reflex present when vet [arrived] – cause of death unknown.” Also: “stomach ulceration.” Silver was four years old.
Famous Miss Kitty, Dec 31, Los Alamitos R
“[Multiple – at least five] fractures; [multiple] ruptures; severe, extensive hemorrhage.” Also: “palmar osteochondral disease [both forelimbs]; stomach ulceration.” Famous was but two years old. The report also noted: “Early degenerative changes (e.g. subchondral sclerosis), like in this case, resulting from repetitive impact trauma by racing or training, are thought to precede the fractures of the carpal bones.”
Oh, that’s right. Los Al Horse Hell decided to end their 2022 killing year by mangling poor Famous Miss Kitty. Then, as if to further emphasize their point, they celebrated the New Killing Year with YET ANOTHER racing fatality, this one to In My Heart. Of course, Ol’ Doc Allred wouldn’t allow his super-observant chartwriter to mention HER van-off (or on-track euthanasia, whichever it was) in the official record.
So, Los Alamitos, which only runs two days a week anyway, rang in the New Year the “safest” way they knew how…with back-to-back filly-kills!
And to think this business may have died of “natural causes” were it not for the help of our politicians.
The tax exemptions, the subsidies and other preferential treatment are why this unmerciful and disgusting animal cruelty is ongoing. The politicians are just as guilty of obscene cruelty as the perpetrators…