The following was submitted by longtime HW supporter Marie Smith. It is yet another story of racing’s refuse, the lost broken – the ones who come off the track so badly damaged that humane euthanasia is the only option.
Recently, I noticed a post on a forum which I follow that focuses on racing. Someone had created a topic following the fractional ownership group, “MyRacehorse.” For those who aren’t familiar with this group and fractional ownership, it is a pathetic attempt to increase interest and participation in horseracing. For a pre-set fee, people can buy a fraction of a racehorse. Whatever that horse “earns” is then used to pay fees (vets, trainers, etc.), then whatever is left is divvied among the “owners” who have bought in. These owners have no say in what trainer the horse goes to, what races he is entered in, or how he is treated. They aren’t even allowed to see “their” horses at the barn without permission, and have to enter lotteries in order to be “allowed” to watch the horse race on special days or at big events.
I have casually followed the posts on this forum, and noted previous horses who were owned by MyRacehorse and who were injured, broken down, or dumped when no longer earning. One of these posts on a horse named Kanthari really caught my attention: “Former MRH (MyRacehorse) runner will be humanely euthanized by his retirement program due to ongoing health and soundness issues.” Not familiar with Kanthari, I began researching. What I found was a heartbreaking tale of a horse who was completely failed by his “owners,” trainers, and an industry that falsely touts “safety and horses come first.”
Kanthari was a chestnut gelding foaled on Feb 25, 2019 – so a fairly young guy, right? The old saying, “rode hard and put away wet” truly fit this poor horse’s life. Kanthari was sold twice at auction, first at the Keeneland Sep 2020 “Yearling Sale” for $220,000. Still a baby. A mere six months later, he was sold at the OBS Mar 2021 “Two-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale.” By this time, he was already trained to saddle, bridle, riders, and how to run as fast as he could in a short burst of speed over a short distance. The buyer was MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm – the price, $575,000.
In Dec 2022, Kanthari, under trainer Todd Pletcher, won his first race. During this time, “Familia Botero Racing,” apparently a partner of Spendthrift, began a blog page for Kanthari. This blog is what I initially used to investigate Kanthari’s brief life. The earlier posts weren’t very informative, but they did paint a picture of a horse with issues – e.g., having to be “cleared” by a farm vet “to resume jogging.”
The next few posts, however, were more descriptive. Kanthari was declared “lame” when examined at a Kentucky hospital, and diagnosed with “kissing spines.” I have personally dealt with off-the-track horses with kissing spines, and more often than not, it is a painful condition that limits rideability and requires complex treatment for comfort. But this didn’t deter the folks in charge of Kanthari. On they went with his “training.”
Moving forward, Kanthari still showed lameness, and at some point had tie-back surgery. Tie-back surgery is most commonly performed on racehorses who are “roarers” – horses who literally sound like they’re roaring during exercise due to airway constriction. Again, though, this did not deter Kanthari’s keepers. In an ensuing post, it was noted that during a race Kanthari was running with his head cocked and was still making noises while trying to breathe. And, he had “showed regression” from his previous two races.
Reading this, my heart hurt for this poor horse. But, there would still be five more races in Kanthari’s future, as well as a trainer switch to Kelly Breen. In another post, jockey Paco Lopez (yes, THAT Paco Lopez) noted Kanthari “was a bit tight on the hind-end,” and “didn’t think he felt the same.” After this workout, Kanthari was again examined, and another post updated his “owners.”
At this point, one would think that Kanthari’s keepers would just retire him. But no, there were four more races to come, from Jan to Jun 2024. After a race on Mar 9, it was noted that Kanthari had suffered “EIPH” – pulmonary hemorrhage – and that they would give him “a few days off to recover and relax.” How kind of them. The next post said that Kanthari “remains sound, though a little body sore/stiff.” During this time, he was also placed on a Vet’s List, though I’m not sure if this was hemorrhage-related.
The next, and final, post was labeled “Aftercare Update.” Kanthari and another horse owned by this group, Three Jewels, were dumped (“surrendered,” they called it) at the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center, along with a measly $5,035 donation. Kanthari was “retired” after 8 races, with $136,630 in “earnings.” His last race had come on Jun 7, 2024, at Laurel Park. Before this race, he was For Sale at $40,000, and he was “claimed” (bought). That claim, however, was voided. Someone, whether the vet or the claimants, noted a sore, broken horse not worthy of purchase.
During my search, I found a post from the rescue, KYEAC. It began, “Due to the diagnosis of kissing spines, he’s now looking for…” but then the post cuts off. I clicked to see what limitations Kanthari was “looking for,” but all I got was, “This product couldn’t be found.” Clearly, his kissing spines were a significant problem, and were going to cause limitations on his post-racing life. But those same kissing spines didn’t prevent Kanthari’s exploiters from putting him through those eight races, miles upon miles of training, EIPH, tie-back surgery, and the “normal wear and tear” on a racehorse’s ankles and knees.
On May 29, I found a post saying Kanthari had been euthanized for “painful degeneration of his coffin bone.” THIS, folks, is the life of most racehorses. Regardless of their injuries, regardless of how much they try to tell their exploiters that enough is past enough, they are pushed to go on. RIP poor boy.
To Joe Mama: Your name sounds like a joke and your comment could be in the dictionary as an example of what epitomizes the meaning of stupid as well as clueless. You sound like a die-hard horse abusing heathen who most likely should be arrested for Animal Cruelty.
To Julie Roghair: You say, “Your hate for the racing industry is toxic,”
You should be aware that the racing industry is toxic to horses.
Again, the racing industry is toxic to horses, and because the racing industry is toxic to horses this site is here to spread the word of how toxic horseracing is to horses.
You, Julie Roghair, should be ashamed and embarrassed to be involved in this daily routine mistreatment of horses that breaks their bodies down to the point of so much pain and suffering caused to the horses that they either drop dead suddenly or they need to be euthanized to end their misery.
Oh, but Joe Mama, I certainly have a clue! If only you knew. I live with guilt damn near everyday because of what I did, or saw, while in racing, and said or did nothing.
There is a reason I am here.
Spend some time on this page and tell me again who doesn’t have a clue.
Julie- he was SIX. Doesn’t that say it all right there?! He had to be euthanized for DEGENERATIVE issues that couldn’t keep him managed without significant pain- should that happen in a SIX year old horse??
Tie back surgery, kissing spines, “normal wear and tear on the ankles”, EIPH, degeneration in a cannon bone… he was SIX.
Stupid article written by someone who is biased and most certainly doesn’t have a clue.
Julie Roghair – “EVERYTHING was done in the hopes of saving Kanthari” – I don’t doubt for a second that the rescue organization who opened their hearts and home to him (unlike you and the hundreds of other clueless MyRacehorse micro-share owners) DID do everything to save his life…but the abuse he was subjected to by continuing to train & race him made it impossible. The fact they did go above & beyond to give him time to heal screams of how damaging racing/race training is to horses. You should be ashamed – but I know your type.
Euthanasia was the only kindness Kanthari experienced in his short life. Having spent years rescuing unwanted & crippled racehorses right from the backside, I saw again and again and again that euthanasia was and IS not the worst thing – but racing certainly is.
I see you’re simply trying to get attention at the cost of this horse. I am highly involved with My Racehorse and know that EVERYTHING was done in the hopes of saving Kanthari. They went above and beyond and did the humane thing.
So, the next time you want to try to be in the actual interest if the horse.. try Knowing the facts instead of being somebody that tries to look educated on matters like Kanthari.
Your hate for the racing industry is toxic.
RIP, Kanthari!
This story makes me so sad and angry. I wish it could be published in a main-stream publication, but I’m guessing no one would publish it. It’s this kind of treatment that needs to be screamed to the general public.
This business is so good with the care of their horses! Just read an article in the BH about a strangles case in barn #85 at Saratoga. Clearly the participants in this “Crooked,Crummy,Gamboling game don`t really care about the majority of the horses. The same issues are true for many breeding farms as well. We have worked at farms where many horses were literally starved to death in the back areas of the farm unseen by the public. Have worked with barn foreman whose philosophy was once a horse was old & no longer useful for racing, just load them up for auction slaughter bound! King Hark mas still able to be ridden & despite the many thousands he earned no decent retirement for him or his siblings. This poor excuse of a gamboling business can`t go away fast enough for us.
As the old saying goes, on the bottom of the ocean is shark shit, and below that horse traders.
Myracehorse.com and the like have created a new batch of suckers prime to be taken advantage of.
Fractional owners in most cases don’t even know which end a horse eats from so they are not aware of the level of suffering.
As Wayne Lucas says in their commercial with a diabolical joker like smile….”Come on let’s have some fun!!”
A horse that has “kissing spines” is not a sound horse. Sadist Todd Pletcher should know better but he has a propensity to be sadistic so this is what happens to a horse in his “care” because all that money is so much more important than being ethical.
Anyone who buys a fractional ownership of a horse exploited for racing is not innocent.
What is the rest of the story on his coffin bone? That is really creepy that they say he was euthanized for painful degeneration of his coffin bone but they don’t say which one or if he had laminitis. It sounds like he could have had laminitis. The painful condition of kissing spines is not mentioned as a reason for euthanizing him. Not giving all of the facts is one of the trademarks of liars. These degenerate people can be real proud of themselves for their evilness. 🤬
We carry the potential for profound kindness (Marie, HW) and destructive cruelty (Kanthari’s exploiters and horseracing) . What we become depends on which aspects we nurture, the stories we believe, and the systems we create.