Last week at the CHRB’s monthly meeting, after Equine Medical Director Jeff Blea gave his death report, this exchange between Blea and Chairman Greg Ferraro took place:
Ferraro: “Our injury rate, death rate, is creeping up. Do you have any solutions, reasons, comments about that?”
Blea: “Solutions, no. Reasons, each one is unique.”
First, on that “creeping death rate”: In 2022, the Cal racing people were busy backslapping one another in celebration of a death toll of 64. Never mind that 64 beautiful, intelligent animals were sacrificed for gambling. The number was down, things were good. But, last year, 86 horses were felled – a staggering 34% increase. And, 26 horses have died thus far in 2024, putting the state on track to equal or even surpass ’23. “Creeping,” Dr. Ferraro?
As for Blea’s response, perfect, huh? “No solutions” is spot-on, and “each one is unique” is the same drivel we heard after the results of “investigations” into the Churchill and Saratoga killing seasons were released. (It’s the same, of course, every time a track or state comes under scrutiny.) Bottom line: A certain level of killing is built into the system. I know it, and more to the point, they know it.
I have a solution for Mr. Blea: end horse racing! And as for the injuries and deaths each being unique? They are sickeningly alike, all the result of drugging and brutal treatment.
I agree
Solutions to duping, cajoling and pleading with the politicians for public funding of this gambling racket might come in the form of brainstorming ideas such as we need $XXX,XXX,XXX for this “magical” X-ray machine to screen the horses for internal injuries, etc. Except that’s already been done. Oops! Oh, that was a waste of money.
Maybe, if we can come up with a New Extra Super All-Powerful and Improved Version of this “magical” machine for even better X-rays and have one at every horse-killing meat-grinder race track in California, they would go for it.
Maybe sell the land that the horse-killing meat-grinder racetracks are sitting on to the State of California (for $1.00) and do a deal like the deal/deals that the horse-killing professionals in New York made to bankroll their horse-killing shit-show, because you know we at the CHRB (not to mention The Stronach Group, etc.) have to get the politicians on board with us to keep this horse-killing shit-show going as long as we can.
Perfect points Wanda!
it’s better that thoroughbreds won’t be bred and born anymore? just led the breed dwindle toward zero?
You can have horses without abusing them to death. There are breeders of horses who don’t breed horses to be disposable gambling chips. There are people who have horses for reasons other than exploiting them to death.