Through a FOIA request to the Kentucky Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks in 2022. Please note that, as expected, over 80% of the necropsies indicated varying levels of stomach ulceration in the deceased.
Powerful Force, Jan 2, Keeneland T
“Horse fell at 1/8 pole: [multiple] open fractures; ligament rupture.” (two years old)
Warrior Worrier, Jan 30, Turfway T
“Horse broke down: complete, comminuted fracture with marked tearing of surrounding musculature.”
Meataball, Jan 30, Turfway T
“Horse broke down near 5/8 pole: [multiple] fractures, ruptured ligament.”
Princesalessandra, Feb 1, Keeneland T (euth Feb 11)
“Multiple pelvic fractures.” (two years old, being prepped for first race)
Dawna, Feb 16, Keeneland T
“Became lame upon returning to barn: severe, extensive tearing of suspensory ligament; luxated joint.” (four years old, being prepped for first race)
Creative Courage, Feb 18, Turfway R
“Horse hit rail, collapsed, was gasping for air, expired on track.”
Peacebethejourney, Feb 24, Turfway R
“Horse broke down and fell at 1/8 pole: [multiple] fractures, complete disarticulation of joint, suspensory ligament severely torn.”
Smarty’s Gold, Mar 2, Turfway T
“Sudden death at 1/8 pole: chronic pleuritis and pericarditis.” (four years old)
Omnia Vincit, Mar 5, Keeneland T
“Horse was working when he went down at 1/8 pole: complete humeral fracture with both missing fragments and fragments that are compressed into the marrow space; torn muscles; large amount of hemorrhage. Euthanized on ambulance.” (two years old)
Nardo Grey, Mar 5, Turfway T
“Pulled up, appeared to be ataxic in hind end, collapsed and died in ambulance: pelvic fracture, [bled out] – massive amount of unclotted blood.” (two years old)
Quase La, Apr 1, Keeneland T
“Horse became wobbly, ran into rail, and collapsed – cardiovascular sudden death.” (three years old, being prepped for first race)
Splitsecondsonny, Apr 6, Turfway S
“104-degree fever for several days, neuro signs, progressive severe pneumonia, progressive respiratory distress – died.” (three years old)
Dancing d’Oro, Apr 7, Churchill T
“Pulled up and went down on its right side: multiple pelvic fractures, [bled out] – massive amount of unclotted blood.” (three years old, being prepped for first race)
Run the Tap, Apr 8, Keeneland R (died three days later)
“Mare sustained [multiple] pelvic fractures. [3 days later], mare collapsed and died an unassisted biological death within 20 minutes – internal bleeding [she bled out].”
Midnight Bourbon, Apr 17, Churchill T
“About one hour [after breezing], horse started showing signs of severe colic and was treated. After fluids, horse became severely painful and started thrashing in the stall. They were able to get the horse up and started walking [him] in shedrow. While walking, horse went down and started thrashing again. Soon after, horse expired.”
Sir. Rez, Apr 20, Keeneland T
“Pulled up: [multiple] fractures, one highly comminuted; severe soft tissue damage.”
Ratification, May 1, Churchill T
“Horse pulled up with catastrophic injury: multiple fractures, severe soft tissue damage, ligament rupture.”
El Venue, May 12, Churchill S
“Horse was found dead in its stall overnight. No obvious injuries, cause undetermined.” (was last raced Apr 30)
Scales of Justice, May 14, Churchill R
“Horse pulled up with catastrophic injury: [multiple] fractures, ligament ruptures.”
Loveatfirstflight, May 26, Churchill T
“Horse collapsed and died 1/2 mile into gallop: acute cardiovascular collapse [and] complete humeral fracture.” (three years old, being prepped for first race)
A’bouzy, May 26, Churchill T
“When the horse got down to a walk, it became unstable, collapsed, and died – cause undetermined.” (three years old)
Dini d’Amore, May 27, Churchill T
“Horse pulled up with catastrophic injury to RF fetlock: [multiple] open fractures.”
Hunt the Front, May 29, Churchill R
“Horse suffered catastrophic injury after finish: severe tearing of ligaments, avulsion.”
A Little Flyer, May 31, Churchill T
“Horse broke down: [multiple] fractures, extensive tissue damage, ligament rupture.”
Gingrich, Jun 10, Churchill R
“Horse broke down: [multiple] open fractures.”
Miniconjou, Jun 11, Churchill R
“Horse bobbled after finish, lost rider, caught soon after and immediately became very weak, collapsed, and died. Cause undetermined.” (three years old)
Hope and Dignity, Jun 17, Keeneland T
“Horse was completing a 1/2-mile work, stumbled to a stop, then acutely collapsed under the rail – exercise-associated sudden death.” (four years old)
Sticky Issue, Jul 1, Churchill R
“Horse pulled up 5/5 lame: [multiple] open, comminuted fractures.”
Enid, Jul 4, Churchill R
“Horse pulled up with catastrophic injury: [multiple] open, severely comminuted fractures; extensive soft tissue damage, including tearing of digital vein.”
Bow Maker, Jul 14, Churchill S
“Impaction colic treated for two days with no improvement.” (was last raced Jun 3)
Her Giant, Jul 25, Churchill T
“[Multiple] fractures. Horse was not put down until noon due to getting x-rays.”
Conversational, Aug 13, Churchill R
“Horse suffered catastrophic injury near finish line: [multiple] open fractures, severe soft tissue damage.” (two years old)
Super Quick, Aug 14, Ellis R
“Horse suffered catastrophic injury at finish line: [multiple] comminuted fractures.”
Just Candy, Aug 17, Keeneland S
“Barn injury – sudden death.” (two years old, had not yet been raced)
Follow Me Mom, Aug 25, Keeneland S
“Three-week illness – pleuropneumonia.” (was last raced Jul 22)
Moody, Aug 26, Churchill T
“Horse started weaving across track, fell through outside rail, dead on impact – exercise-associated sudden death.” (two years old, coming off first race)
Simply Super, Aug 27, Churchill T
“Horse broke down at 1/2 mile: comminuted fracture, extensive tearing of [multiple] ligaments with fragments of bone embedded.” (two years old)
Bellas Smile, Aug 27, Ellis T
“Filly broke down and fell near 1/2-mile pole: complete, comminuted humerus fracture; marked tearing of muscles.” (three years old, being prepped for first race)
Marcie’s Candy, Aug 31, Churchill T
“[Multiple] fractures.” (seven years old)
Mi Casa Es Su Casa, Sep 1, Keeneland T
“Filly demonstrated hindleg injury with loss of locomotion: [multiple] pelvic fractures.” (three years old, being prepped for first race)
Mr. Gordy, Sep 13, Churchill T
“Jogged this morning. Barn help noticed horse was thrashing at 3:15. Private vet arrived and horse was expired by 3:45 – cause undetermined.” (two years old)
Steprock, Sep 17, Churchill T (euth Sep 18)
“Breezed yesterday; went lame after getting back to barn: comminuted fracture, torn ligament, large amount of hemorrhage.” (two years old, being prepped for first race)
Nevermind, Sep 19, Red Mile R
“Horse on track for post parade. Driver reported horse started to weaken then collapsed – expired soon after. Cause undetermined.” (three years old)
Blazin Amazin, Sep 27, Keeneland T
“Horse became unsteady, made contact with rail, fell to track. Was unresponsive when approached by outrider – sudden death, cause undetermined.” (three years old)
Big Sur, Oct 17, Churchill S (euth Oct 18)
“Horse sustained comminuted fracture in accident previous morning.” (two years old)
Dixie Speaker, Oct 17, Keeneland T
“Filly became acutely lame after training: comminuted fracture.” (two years old, being prepped for first race)
Beautiness, Oct 27, Churchill T
“Broke down at wire: severely comminuted fracture.” (two years old, being prepped for first race)
Paddock Boss, Oct 30, Churchill R
“Horse went down at beginning of first turn: open fracture, massive soft tissue tearing, [multiple] tendons and ligaments torn.” (two years old)
Junellia, Nov 10, Churchill T
“Pulled up lame post breeze: compound, comminuted fracture; extensive tearing; rupture; fragments embedded in ligaments.”
Lady Baron, Nov 12, Churchill S
“Began hemorrhaging from both nostrils at 7:30 pm; became agonal around 8:45 pm – arterial rupture, euthanized.” (two years old, coming off first race)
Must Be the Money, Nov 26, Churchill R
“Pulled up with catastrophic injury: [multiple] fractures, protrusion through skin; [multiple] torn/ruptured tendons and ligaments.” (two years old, second ever race)
Anytimeallthetime, Nov 30, Turfway R
“Horse fell violently with trauma to the head and neck. On arrival, horse was recumbent and agonal – massively comminuted limb fracture and [emphasis mine] comminuted vertebral fracture with spinal cord transection.”
This so-called s***t never fails to prove that it’s just as cruel and sadistic to the horses as dogfighting is to the dogs.
Fascinating to see what Churchill’s chartwriter chooses to include in the “official” Equibase accounting of their Death Races — and, more importantly, what gets left out. It’s obvious they refuse to note all AFTER-THE-WIRE fatal racing injuries, as in the cases of poor Hunt the Front (“never a factor”), and Miniconjou (“wasn’t quite good enough”). No need to document THOSE ghastly horrors, too. Right, Mr. Chartliar? (Makes me wonder how many other racing fatalities you failed to incorporate into the public record. A dozen? A hundred?)
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