Last week, BloodHorse ran an article entitled, “Santa Anita Surgery Program Seeing Positive Outcomes.” The “program” is supposed to be reducing the number of euthanasias for track-related catastrophic injuries. Key phrase: supposed to be. What I see is a way for Cal Racing to hide more of their dead, because if horses are being euthanized off track property and outside a 72-hour window, they’re generally not reportable to the California Horse Racing Board, and thus not publicly disclosed.
According to the article, “Since the program started in earnest in 2020, it has saved 20 horses,” with 8 being “lost.” Problem is, the piece only identifies 3 of those supposed 20: Whatdidido, injured Mar 27, 2021; Deputy Bernardini, injured (at Del Mar) Nov 26, 2021; and Bus Buzz, injured Nov 3, 2023 (although this surgery is far too recent to call successful). There remains a very long list – 94 strong – of horses injured on Cal tracks since Jan 2020 who have simply disappeared. And remember, that list below covers racing injuries only. How many of the training/stall deaths never come to light? (Presumably, the 8 who didn’t survive surgery can be found below, but which ones is anyone’s guess.)
Clubhouse Soda, 1/16/20, Golden Gate – “vanned off”
Captivating Cartel, 1/24/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Warrens Lil Margie, 2/23/20, Golden Gate – “bled in the stretch”
Tizalwaves, 6/5/20, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Spectator’s Dream, 6/7/20, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Nice Blaze, 7/3/20, Pleasanton – “fell, vanned off”
Girther, 8/8/20, Del Mar – “vanned off”
No Name Fred, 8/9/20, Del Mar – “bled”
Kr Casper, 8/16/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Verifiable, 9/5/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Rick’s Dream, 9/7/20, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Rule He Will, 9/19/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
El Aracada, 11/13/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Magnolia’s Hope, 11/27/20, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Velvet Queen, 11/27/20, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Twirling the Gold, 11/27/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Taco Twosday, 11/29/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Princess Noor, 12/5/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Josephin Bono, 12/6/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Colour of Money, 12/11/20, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Florentine Diamond, 1/16/21, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Gowdy, 1/23/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Warm It Up, 2/26/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Tuxedo Flats, 5/1/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Omph, 5/9/21, Golden Gate – “vanned off”
Big Dog Daddy, 5/14/21, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Fashin Icon, 5/22/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Eel Point, 5/28/21, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Street Dancing, 5/31/21, Golden Gate – “vanned off”
Lips Like Sugar, 6/19/21, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Listen Linda, 7/18/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Perrys Everlasting, 7/24/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
PRESTONS LADY AA, 8/13/21, Golden Gate – “bled”
Esagerare, 8/19/21, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Queen Helene, 8/27/21, Golden Gate – “collapsed, bled profusely, vanned off”
C’Mon Jenna, 9/10/21, Golden Gate – “bled, vanned off”
Investment Account, 9/10/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Bathory, 9/11/21, Golden Gate – “vanned off”
Great Power, 10/3/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Rocket Song, 10/10/21, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Wild Cat Canyon, 10/16/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Frost Warning, 10/17/21, Fresno – “pulled up, vanned off”
Favorite First Down, 10/23/21, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Dual Reality, 10/31/21, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Prudent, 11/4/21, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Da Kine, 11/13/21, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Oro Crystal, 1/9/22, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Malibu Mayhem, 1/23/22, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Equivalence, 2/18/22, Santa Anita – “bled following the race”
Ed Gatty, 3/6/22, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Viva La Fiesta, 4/1/22, Golden Gate – “vanned off”
Intenses Suspenses, 4/3/22, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Savvy Gal, 4/10/22, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Union Boy, 4/23/22, Golden Gate – “bled”
Pray to an Angel, 4/29/22, Golden Gate – “vanned off”
Banjo Queen, 5/15/22, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Brittany Breeze, 5/28/22, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Smokinhotredhead, 6/18/22, Pleasanton – “vanned off”
I Am Not Uncertain, 7/3/22, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Sparkling Gem, 8/14/22, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Sentauro Image, 8/20/22, Los Alamitos – “fell past wire, vanned off”
Smitten by Kitten, 9/4/22, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Trumper, 9/4/22, Los Alamitos – “fell, vanned off”
Flying Charlie, 9/25/22, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Weasley, 9/25/22, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Set for It, 10/16/22, Los Alamitos – “bled”
Cold City, 11/4/22, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Exclamation, 11/4/22, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Say It With Roses, 11/5/22, Golden Gate – “vanned off”
Bobs Blues Man, 11/20/22, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Migration, 12/26/22, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Good Time Dolly, 1/8/23, Golden Gate – “vanned off”
Fort Bridger, 2/4/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Sierra Pass, 2/11/23, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Italian Love Song, 3/4/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Tucker’s Tribute, 3/17/23, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Above the Law, 4/8/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Rough Ride, 5/27/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Thoughts to Remember, 5/28/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Surplus, 6/4/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Strike That, 7/22/23, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Stellar Grace, 8/3/23, Del Mar – “vanned off”
The Best, 8/13/23, Los Alamitos – “bled”
Love Our Family, 8/17/23, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Universal Payday, 8/19/23, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Bolden, 9/10/23, Del Mar – “vanned off”
Otro Mas, 10/22/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Liberal, 10/29/23, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
White Moonlight, 11/3/23, Santa Anita – “bled”
Mountain Bear, 11/3/23, Santa Anita – “vanned off”
Fearless Prince, 11/19/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Blazen Grazen, 12/3/23, Golden Gate – “vanned off”
Hill Sixteen, 12/16/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
Creative Peak, 12/30/23, Los Alamitos – “vanned off”
My apologies. Poor “old” guy suffered for a few days, but I forgot he was eventually released from his pain.
Bound to Bet was confirmed euthanized Jan 2, Kelly.
People need to QUIT breeding horses…because humans don’t deserve them.
Oh, good! My favorite HW topic: how the (high-integrity, super-credible) CHRB is still managing to keep the vast majority of their horse kills hidden from a horrified public. As with (the comically-named) HISA, the esteemed Board of California “Regulators” clearly makes hiding their dead victims their number one priority. And, unlike HISA, they’re very good at it; the CHRB will make certain that nearly all of these 95 horses (please add Bound to Bet at Los Al Horse Hell) will have fallen off the face of the Earth, never to be seen nor heard from again.
Saying the words “positive outcomes” doesn’t really mean that the horses are alive and doing well; it means that the richest and most powerful people in horseracing, especially in Southern California, can say that they had “fewer horses euthanized on the racetrack” (by prolonging the suffering inflicted on them by racing-induced injuries) so it pays to be aware of their deceitful tactics.
These people have shown that they are both sadistic and dishonest. Why would any thinking person want to support them or believe their lies?
I am not a veterinarian, but for the horses that have been pronounced “saved,” I would need to know how they are doing now. Are they using the word “saved” to mean that the horses simply survived the surgery? What is their prognosis for long-term, pain-free health? Of course, this information will not be available, but to simply say “saved” is not enough.