This from the stewards at Keeneland, for the 6th race Apr 18: “Splash Master finished 3rd and required the assistance of the horse ambulance [the race chart, by the way, said nothing of this]. The filly was [then] transported to a clinic for evaluation. After it was determined that the horse had suffered extensive catastrophic damage to her LH leg, she was humanely euthanized.” The 4-year-old Splash was the third racing kill (not including training/stall) at Keeneland in a seven-day period. Care to comment, HISA?
Also, over just four race days (Apr 13-Apr 18), the following horses were scratched by the regulatory vet:
Talmadge – “unsound”
How’ya Getting On – “unsound”
Skyler – “injured in holding barn”
Simcoe – “unsound”
Spielman – “unsound”
Soco and Lime – “unsound”
Release McCraken – “unsound”
Izzy Sweet Girl – “unsound”
Falk – “unsound”
Baytown Boujee – “injured”
Deuteronomy – “unsound”
Portfolio Duration – “unsound”
Something Fast – “unsound”
Bourbon Thief – “unsound”
Zen Moment – “unsound”
Venomous Vixen – “unsound”
And these were private-vet scratches, again over just four days:
Baytown Wonder – “injured”
Mr. Vaggio – “illness”
Nova Rags – “illness”
I’m Your Man – “injured”
Sprint Out Pass – “illness”
Araucano – “illness”
Into Diamonds – “illness”
I’m a Cookie Lover – “illness”
Laurie’s Secret – “illness”
Modern Sound – “illness”
Also:
“The claim [sale] of Truthorconsequence was voided when horse [returned unsound].”
“The claims of both Double Barrel and Panthor [same race] were voided when horses [returned unsound].”
“The claim of Sunny Isle Beach was voided when horse [returned unsound].”
And finally, on Apr 18, “Trouble Free finished 5th and required the assistance of the horse ambulance. She was treated for a post-race heatstroke and placed on the Vet’s List.” Once again, the chart said nothing of this, only that Trouble Free “tired.”
This is horseracing.
Jdoe thanks for the viewable link. We have seen & held for bathing mares with even worse looking fetlocks when they were racing at our no HISA participating king of the 1/2 mile bull rings tracks Oregon. With the recent increases in racing participant licensing fees, we`re hopeful that participation in racing will decline even more here in Oregon. Our recently now deceased state senator, Peter Courtney, was against racing & worked right up to the end trying to end it. RIP Mr. Courtney.
Jdoe,
There are people who follow Horseracing Wrongs who don’t have to imagine how low-level claimers are treated and mistreated because they have seen a lot of the mistreated racehorses first-hand and the pictures and videos of mistreated horses suffering from the affects of a life of ruthless exploitation by human beings.
I’m always grateful to those who are able to be actively involved in rescuing some of these low-level claimers before it’s too late for the horses.
Racetracks such as Mountaineer, Charles Town, Finger Lakes, and Parx come to mind in some of these cases of low-level claimers being mistreated on a daily routine basis.
Many of the horses reported on this blog as injured and killed are casualties of low-level claiming races in every state that has horse racing. They suffer horrendous abuse while being exploited as gambling chips. It’s absolutely disgraceful to mistreat horses in this way.
Rose, they are people who don’t have a REAL job …through either no education or whatever. I’m not talking about the illegals ..who have no option.I’m talking about the LAZY scum who could get a real job, but don’t cause of LAZINESS.
If these people had any integrity or an ounce of compassion they would not be entering sick and unsound horses. Even the most incompetent amongst them would be able tell if a horse was unsound or if a horse was sick. Are there any penalties for this? And since it certainly is a safety issue, how was it “overlooked” by HISA?!!
Here are some pictures(download them before they are taken down) that speak 1,000s of words about the current state of the industry.
This horse was a $300,000 yearling and elite prospect.
Zoom in on the feet and ankles, notice the complete calcification of both ankles from excessive cortisone injections and the appalling condition of its feet. This is a horse that recently passed vet checks and raced!
If this is how well bred prospects are treated, imagine the condition and treatment of the low level claimers!
https://www.canterusa.org/horses/listings/leo-2021-thoroughbred-gelding-16-2hh-5500/
Some people don’t want their horses to be injured so they avoid putting their horses in activities that cause injuries.
It’s common sense to avoid putting your horse in harm’s way to maintain their safety and well-being. These people are sadistic people who belong behind bars for Animal Cruelty, because they knowingly, willfully and deliberately put their horses in harm’s way and repeatedly cause injuries to their horses.
They whitewash their cruelty to their horses because they know it’s cruel and inhumane and they have no intentions of stopping their deplorable cruelty to their horses.
They belong in prison for their egregious cruelty to horses.