The Thoroughbred Daily News published a piece yesterday afternoon with this title and opening paragraph:
“Excited For Churchill On Saturday? Who Could ‘Blame’ You?”
“Four weeks removed from the running of the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs stages its second stacked weekend of the spring/summer meeting, with five Grade IIIs and one listed contest on ‘Stephen Foster Preview’ Day. The program serves as a steppingstone to Foster Day itself in a month’s time.”
I won’t bore you with the rest, just wanted to show what’s important in the racing press this (or any) time of the year. Now, let’s juxtapose that with the following from the most recent Steward’s Reports at Churchill:
May 24: “Tonalite was pulled up abruptly near the 1/2 mile pole and required the assistance of the horse ambulance. It was later reported that the filly had suffered a catastrophic injury to her left foreleg and she was humanely euthanized.”
Tonalite was four, and this was her 14th time under the whip. The stewards, by the way, also added this postscript: “13 claims that had been submitted for the horse were voided pursuant to HISA Rule #2262.” But of course, you can’t buy a horse who’s dead.
Very next day: “Yamato was pulled up near the 3/8 pole and required the assistance of the horse ambulance. It was determined that the horse, who had unseated the rider and run loose briefly, had suffered a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg and he was humanely euthanized.”
He “ran loose briefly” probably after already having broken down. Yamato was eight, and this was his 38th time under the whip.
Dead horses – this is Churchill Downs. This is horseracing.
Drumming up support for the upcoming races is pathetically sadistic in its own way. There are those die-hard horse exploiters who don’t want to take personal responsibility for what they do to their chattel, the horses, especially if they can also exploit their horses as a tax write-off.
Horses need people who can appreciate them without making sadistic demands on them.