First, the latest out of Saratoga: yet another kill. Stop Giggling, says the Gaming Commission, “was injured training Jul 25 and euthanized Jul 31.” She was five years old.
Horseracing Wrongs is, of course, a national organization. It just so happens that we are headquartered in the backyard of, if not the most famous track in America, on the short list – Saratoga Race Course. Being only one of a handful of American tracks that is still a popular destination, and, at least so the narrative goes, being such an integral part of the local economy, we were told early on that the media wouldn’t report anything negative about Saratoga – most especially, the deaths. That has changed, dramatically.
It used to be that the Times Union, the most powerful media voice in the Capital Region, would (if they did at all) only report deaths of high-profile horses (much like the racing press). Now, they run articles with titles like this one two days ago: “Tracking horse deaths at Saratoga Race Course – the number of horse deaths continues to stack each year at the track amid controversies” (full article). That, I have no doubt, is because of us.
And then there’s this from the shameful, shameless New York Racing Association (NYRA), operator of Saratoga. When Aterradora was euthanized earlier this week after breaking down Saturday, NYRA released a statement that read in part: “Since the beginning of the summer meet on July 10, there has been one equine fatality during racing and two equine fatalities during training.”
A ruse if ever there was one. First, they are only counting from Jul 10; horses were stabled, training, and racing (starting with the “Belmont Festival”) at Saratoga before then. In fact, there were two kills on day 1 of that “festival,” four over that first week, and yet another one on the Monday that followed. And lest anyone think we’re primarily talking about stall deaths (not that that would morally matter at all), only three of the 11 kills so far have been of that variety. They deceive, dissemble, distract, and deflect because they have to. Their product kills, regularly.
Here is the up-to-date list (date for on-track deaths is date of initial injury):
Racine, Jun 2, Saratoga S
Term Structure, Jun 4, Saratoga T
Whatlovelookslike, Jun 4, Saratoga R
Blameitonthestones, Jun 5, Saratoga S
Starting Rumors, Jun 9, Saratoga T
A. P. Kid, Jun 27, Saratoga T
Al’s Munny, Jul 13, Saratoga S
National Secret, Jul 19, Saratoga T
Stop Giggling, Jul 25, Saratoga T
Aterradora, Jul 26, Saratoga R
Dazzle d’Oro, Jul 28, Saratoga T
Veggivet, hate to tell you corny Saratoga has been on the decline for past more than a few years. Overrated nothing🤣
Considering all the $$ that flood into the upstate economy in and around Saratoga during the racing season, it took some balls to run that article, which no doubt pissed off more than a few of their major advertisers, I’m sure.
What it ALL boils down to folks….they ALL kill horses. These numbers from scumbag Saratoga are exceptionally mind blowing….they’ve barely been racing. This rate far EXCEEDS all the other tracks combined.
As if I’d ever being the words of anyone who cares more about making money than than the well-being of other people or of other living things!
I’m glad you are keeping track of how many horses are killed at the various tracks, Patrick. If they could say that one horse fell from a catastrophic injury but two horses came up sound and ready to gallop a quarter mile in 22 seconds, and if racing fans were gullible enough to believe anything so ridiculous but “magical” could happen, these people who drain New York State of millions of dollars a year in subsidies would say that — that one injured horse turned into two ready-to-race racehorses.
I liked that the Times Union reported on how horseracing is bankrolled by New York State; this was published BEFORE the State-backed Bond Loan of $455 Million. It is/was very informative and enlightening at just how much this industry cannot and does not support itself. It is sickening that the very rich are figuratively given a Free Pass to commit heinous crimes against humanity and animals, especially horses.
I would like to see more information published on the untraceable drugs especially the ones used on racehorses.