Another guest post from longtime HW supporter and frequent contributor Mary Johnson.
“The Trashing of Bon Chance Bet; A New Life for Noni”
by Mary Johnson
We often hear from racing supporters that those in racing “love their horses like members of the family,” and that “the horses are treated just like their children.” Of course, for those of us who have been involved with picking up the dumped horses for years and years, we know this to be the BIG LIE. Yes, these folks “love” their horses, but only when those horses are producing. Once the revenue flow slows or stops, the horse becomes a disposable commodity.
It is well documented that horses disappear in the blink of an eye, as was the case with Deputy Broad, who went from the track (Mountaineer) to being processed in Canada in just nine days. Some horses take a more circuitous route, almost as if they are moving on a conveyor belt between auctions. Others just seem to disappear after their last race and then miraculously reappear several months later as they enter the auction circuit. This story is about one of those.
Her name is Bon Chance Bet. “Royally bred” (from Awesome Again) in 2019, Bon’s debut came in March of last year. And what a start. Racing for breeder/owner Stephen Dowden and trainer Russell Richard, Bon was an “eased, DNF.” In her next race, she finished 8 lengths back. Then, from May to August, she was raced four more times: last, 33 lengths back; last, 49 lengths back; last, 39 lengths back; then finally, Aug 10 at Evangeline, last, 39 lengths back. “Caved in when the real running began,” said the chartwriter. That’s 160 lengths back in four races. In short, she was a loser. (Dowden, Richard, and Jose Salgado, owner of record in Bon’s last race, also had her for sale every time out.)
So what becomes of horses such as Bon Chance Bet? No one knows where she was between that last race and February of this year. She just seemed to vanish. After reappearing in February at the Stanley Brothers kill lot in Bastrop, Louisiana, she was identified as only a number – 415 – because no one, at that time, knew who she was. It was fortuitous that Margo Sutter of Equus Rescue stepped up for her. Once Margo had her Coggins document, she was able to trace Bon through her chip number. Bon’s bail was $1,500, more than this sweet mare had made on the track. But that was irrelevant to Margo. She was determined to give this unremembered horse a chance at a good life.
When helping horses to achieve a soft landing, it isn’t just the bail money that’s needed. You must also raise funds for quarantine, vet expenses and transport, and that is only the beginning. Margo reached out to numerous people in the racing industry for help and not one person in racing donated…not one. A multi-billion-dollar industry where horses sell for millions at high-end auctions and not one cent was provided to help Bon, now called Noni. The responsibility to help these discarded horses always seems to fall on the people who have never made a dime in this insidious industry.
Noni never came close to winning a race. No crowds cheered her on. She disappeared into the abyss of the unwanted and unremembered. Her worth to the racing industry and to people like Dowden and Salgado, was zero. But to those who care so deeply for these beautiful beings who put their lives on the line for gambling, she is priceless. Margo has shared with me how incredibly sweet she is despite being thrown away like trash. So in a way, Bon/Noni (below) has won the lottery, and she didn’t even play. Those that step up for these wonderful horses deserve all the accolades. I sincerely hope the day will come when what is ethical matters more than what is profitable.
The d.i.s.c.r.e.p.a.n.c.y. between what those ~(i.e., who $$profit$$ from the Horseracing Industry)~ SAY to the public -and- what they actually DO in private …………………… i.e., “when nobody’s lookin’ ” …………………… is honestly hard to put words around, you know.
There is a young, coming 2-year-old Thoroughbred filly posted on Facebook at the Lone Star Kill Pen. She has not been crippled. I don’t know if anyone has ridden her. She’s too young to be ridden. I hope she gets rescued before it’s too late. I just saw the post this afternoon.
Mary, thank you for writing Bon’s story. And a big thank you to Margo for stepping up for her in her hour of desperate need.
Am I surprised that racing did not contribute one red cent to saving that beautiful creature, in a word, NO!! The surprise would have been if there had been any help from these morally bankrupt people. All they do is cause immense suffering while they collect as much money as they can .
It is a safe bet that, once again, you dug into your pocket, Mary. Thank you.
Thank you, Margo! And thank you, Mary, for writing this. The stories of abuse and neglect should be circulated far and wide, and the heroes like Margo should be celebrated daily.
She is very pretty bay / brown like many of our mares on our farm. We have had people once they know our horses are thoroughbreds want to buy them for racing. We NEVER will. Ours are also sweet & gentle kindly girls. Thank you Margo & all those who saved this mare from a cruel fate.
God bless Margo for stepping up and making the commitment to rescue this beautiful filly from those who see horses as only a commodity rather than as sentient beings that deserve genuine compassion.
Look at this incredible sweetheart!