Through a FOIA request to the Kentucky Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks last year (this is part 2; previous posts here). (Due to the high number of dead horses, I will be posting in installments.)
Fast Talking Babe, Jan 30, Churchill T
“Broke down after galloping out from breeze: complete humerus fracture with severe tearing of surrounding muscles.” Also: “chronic stomach ulceration.” Fast Talking was two years old and being prepped for her first race.
Franco’s Team, Apr 17, Keeneland T
“Collapsed on the gallop out: exercise-associated sudden death.” Also: “chronic degenerative joint disease [both front fetlocks]; grade-3 stomach ulcers.” Franco’s was six years old.
French Cuffs, Jul 27, Keeneland T
“Horse broke down while breezing: comminuted fracture, ruptured suspensory, fetlock sinking to the ground.” Then this: “Owner wants ashes after cremation.” French was four years old.
Holy Moly Abraham, Jul 30, Ellis R
“Horse suffered a catastrophic injury to the RF fetlock near the 3/8 pole. The rider fell off shortly after, and the horse ran approximately 1/16 mile. Biaxial fractures of the sesamoids with rupture of the intersesamoidian ligament and luxation of the fetlock.” Also: “5-6 clustered stomach ulcers.” Holy was just three years old.
Good Turn, Sep 5, Triple Diamonds Training Center T
“Horse was training when it got loose and impaled itself on a corner of the railing. When Dr. Caudill arrived, the horse had completely eviscerated its intestines and was subsequently euthanized due to poor prognosis.” “Poor prognosis” after “completely eviscerating” her intestines. What more can I add? Good Turn was four years old.
Cosmic Order, Sep 16, Keeneland T (euth Sep 18)
“Pelvic injury training. [Two days later] fractured both tibias in stall.” Again, that’s both tibias – after suffering a pelvic injury. Poor girl (just two years old), wicked people.
Fogo Island, Sep 16, Keeneland T
“Collapsed on the gallop out: exercise-associated sudden death.” Also: “history of heatstroke racing Jul 15; severe, chronic stomach ulceration.” Fogo was three years old.
English Treasure, Nov 9, Churchill R
“Horse suffered catastrophic injury to LF limb near the finish line: open [through the skin], severely comminuted fracture.” Also: “grade-4 osteochondral lesions [both front limbs]; extensive ulceration of the stomach.” English was five years old.
Counter Offer, Nov 11, Churchill S
“Trainer found horse down in stall this morning. When vet arrived, horse [still] down and agonal with muddy mucus membranes. [Horse] died before it could be euthanized – cecal rupture.” Then this: “Horse had a history of carpal slab fracture with screw fixation and subsequent re-injury. Horse had been under stall rest for approximately three months.” Counter was seven years old. Oh how he suffered.
Flying B B, Nov 15, Churchill R
“Horse pulled up lame after finish: displaced, comminuted fracture.” Also: “extensive ulceration of the stomach.” Flying was two years old, and this was his very first race.
Thank you for sharing, Joy. We’ll get there.
I work for the casino section of Finger Lakes Gaming and Racing and it has been an eye-opening, heartbreaking, and sickening experience during racing season. You can tell by the way some horses act towards their ‘handler’ when being walked up the track to the entrance for the paddock, their walk around the gazebo for show, that they are not treated properly. Some horses want nothing to do with the person holding their reins. Or when the horses don’t want to enter their gate for racing, bucking back and such, they don’t want to race. I saw Sinless collapse on May 2, 2022, front legs buckled, rolling/flipping over on her neck, landing on the jockey. Staff set up this lame curtain to keep her death from the public, but we could see enough. The death wagon backed-up, dragged by her tail into position to be hauled into the wagon. I’ve seen the same too many times. The casino is a job for me, the racing I hate. All horse racing should be banned.
On another note, Delaware North, that owns FLGR, also owns the only dog racing tracks left in the States, both in West Virginia. Dog racing also has to go.
It’s very difficult to not think of the f word and use profanity when referring to these horrendously barbaric cruelties against horses. This reminds me of a woman I knew who said about people using the f word that there are lots of words in the dictionary that can be used in place of the f word. So there’s that. These people should be prosecuted for Animal Cruelty.
I am running out of original ways to express my complete revulsion at the horror show that is racing. “Impaled itself”? Did she commit suicide? This is all just so unbelievable. Thank you Patrick and Nicole, for having the strength to keep going day after day to report these atrocities.
What these human sociopaths refer to as “stall rest” for a horse injured by racing and “surgically repaired” would, in reality, be “prison cell torture” to the horse.
A racetrack is no place for any horse when thinking of the best interest of the horse. No horse should be subject to the egregious cruelty and abuse inherent to racing.
Exploiting horses as gambling objects is sadistic and gruesome torture of horses.