Chart notes from U.S. Thoroughbred and Quarterhorse races last week.
C V Ronin Legacy “fell, DNF” at Horseshoe
Tough Workout “fell, DNF” at Parx
Nottoway “appeared in distress” at Finger Lakes
Map of Life “vanned off” at Parx
Overly Critical “vanned off” at Delaware
Little Luca “vanned off” at Aqueduct
Hunter Scott “fell, vanned off” at Belterra
Present Time “vanned off” at Prairie
Two Minute Drill “vanned off” at Prairie
Ultima Diva “vanned off” at Sunray
Bella Isola “transported off track in equine ambulance” at Aqueduct
Destin’s Mission “suffered injury, protective hold, vanned off” at Aqueduct
Sarah’s Candy Camp “hit the gate, [did not race]” at Charles Town
Cajun Connection “vanned off” at Evangeline
Darling Luna “fell, DNF” at Gulfstream
Starship Agenda “vanned off” at Gulfstream
On the Couch “fell, DNF” at Malvern
Ask Him Oakey “fell, DNF” at Malvern
Variable Cost “fell, DNF” at Malvern
Polish Up “vanned off” at Monmouth
Evolutionary “fell, catastrophic injury, euthanized” at Parx
Power Slam “injured late, vanned off” at Prairie
Famous Flyin Cowgirl “fell, DNF” at Sunray
Mas Vino “fell, DNF” at Gulfstream
Buff Hello “vanned off” at Gulfstream
El Centenario “went wrong, vanned off” at Miles City
Coaches Meeting “hit rail, vanned off” at Monmouth
Miss Jalisco “hit the rail, DNF” at Weber
“Vanned Off”: Horse required equine ambulance to get off the track; while not all end up dead, most do, as borne out by our subsequent reporting. “Bled”: pulmonary hemorrhage.
How many are already dead? I’ll guess about 14, with the remaining “survivors” on VERY borrowed time.
Oh, do I get to change my answer (upwards, of course) to include all the vanned victims who didn’t even get acknowledged in the charts? If so, better make that 25, final answer.
A person can speculate that they might have administered some kind of temporary treatment for a condylar fracture. Whatever that might be, I don’t know. I can only speculate about the possibility of temporary treatments.
I can only wonder if they might be transporting the horse by air, but my first thought was by land. That information wasn’t disclosed in the article. You know how that goes. [Lukas said the injury is not life-threatening but we’ll have to wait and see about his racing career.]
A condylar fracture has been a life-threatening injury for other horses that were being run at low-tier tracks and in low-level races, as many people know.
How many horses have had condylar fractures that weren’t Grade One horses and were euthanized as a consequence? I don’t know the number.
For Lukas to say “it’s not a life-threatening injury” sounds like such a casual thing to say in my opinion.
If it were not for the huge amounts of money backing him and the horse just to put the horse through the torture of being exploited as a racehorse and for their own disgusting egos, JUST STEEL would have been euthanized already. This poor horse is “just another lab rat” because there is always the possibility that the horse will worsen and develop laminitis. Then it will be a definite life-threatening situation for the horse.
But, no biggie for the trainer because there’s always the other horses in his stable to exploit. Sickening.
That is ridiculous to subject a horse with a condylar fracture for transport out of state! That poor horse should have been treated locally. We`re sure thy`re are perfectly good veterinary clinics near Maryland. D.W. Lucas is one of the worst with his “Program” of horse training. Have groomed some of the horses his 1st primary jockey rode by him, Gary Stevens. Another participant known for his impatience with the horses when he 1st started riding here in the NW in the 1980`s which we have seen.
JUST STEEL suffered a condylar fracture in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 18th, 2024.
He will be dropped off at Rood & Riddle in Kentucky. According to the words of D. Wayne Lukas, the horse isn’t stressed out at all. Lukas is being very sarcastic or very dishonest about the horse being “not stressed out” at all.
This horse will be transported from Maryland to Kentucky with a broken condylar, which is just business as usual for these morally depraved people. I hope that they at least give the horse adequate painkiller medication for the ride from Maryland to Kentucky.