The 8th at Belmont yesterday, according to Equibase: “Cold Hard Cash…spun four wide into the stretch and came up empty, then collapsed post race and was reported to have suffered a fatal cardiac event.” Dead. He was just six, about the age a horse reaches full maturity. “Fatal cardiac event.”
Following this latest kill at one of its tracks, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) released a statement that reads in part: “The health and safety of horses competing at NYRA tracks is our highest priority and one that stands above all other considerations. NYRA’s comprehensive safety strategy is informed by the most advanced science and research….”
And now some facts to juxtapose with the above:
- Cold Hard Cash is the 22nd victim at Belmont this year.
- Over the past four full calendar years, 188 horses have perished at Belmont – an average of almost 50 per year.
- Since 2009, the Death Toll at Belmont is a staggering 618. 618 dead horses.
- And lest we forget, if the planned renovation of Belmont happens, the resultant new track would become the deadliest in America. The lie of NYRA “safety” – again.
The Killing, Year by Year:
2009: 39 dead horses at Belmont (partial: data didn’t begin till April of that year)
2010: 65 dead horses at Belmont
2011: 46 dead horses at Belmont
2012: 45 dead horses at Belmont
2013: 38 dead horses at Belmont
2014: 41 dead horses at Belmont
2015: 25 dead horses at Belmont
2016: 39 dead horses at Belmont
2017: 40 dead horses at Belmont
2018: 30 dead horses at Belmont
2019: 44 dead horses at Belmont
2020: 53 dead horses at Belmont
2021: 50 dead horses at Belmont
2022: 41 dead horses at Belmont
2023: 22 dead horses at Belmont (so far)
I always think that there are more horses that were casualties of the racing industry in New York State (as well as any other state) because I think it is no secret that the industry doesn’t like to give up all of its secrets. The horses that are killed because they can’t run fast enough or they can’t run at all would not necessarily be killed on the racetrack grounds.
The racing people are all about exploiting horses for what the horses can do for them, not about what they can do for the horses. Regardless of what falsehoods the racing industry people perpetrate and perpetuate to the general public, horses are not regarded as sentient beings that deserve to be treated humanely by these die-hard horse-abusing, horse-doping, horse-killing psychopathic sociopathic pseudo-horsemen and pseudo-horsewomen.
They will always be guilty of killing way more horses than they will ever admit to. The annual Video Lottery Terminal payments and all of the other government subsidies and government-directed benefits including tax write-offs and tax exemptions plus “the state-backed bond loan of $455-Million” to the horseracing industry and the New York Racing Association WILL GUARANTEE that MORE HORSES WILL BE not only reproduced, but also KILLED.