Through a FOIA request to the Kentucky Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks thus far this year (because of the volume, I will be posting in installments).
open fracture: bone broke through the skin
comminuted fracture: bone shattered into multiple pieces
displaced fracture: bone snapped out of place
Five Oh Two, Jan 25, Turfway R
“Horse pulled up with open, comminuted cannon fracture – euthanized on track due to severity of injury.” Five Oh was two, and this was his very first race.
Frank Jr, Feb 1, Turfway T
“Horse was galloping when it was hit head-on by a loose horse. Horse went down and began paddling. After rising, it was severely neurologic and fell immediately back down. Horse was then agonal and began seizing. Decision was made to euthanize.” From necropsy: “Complete, displaced, comminuted vertebral body fracture of T3 with extensive hemorrhage within adjacent skeletal muscle.” Frank was three. That poor boy.
Father Dalton, Feb 1, Turfway T
“Horse collided with another horse [probably Frank Jr]. Upon initial exam, horse was non-weight-bearing with epistaxis [bleeding] from both nostrils. Radiographs revealed slab fracture. Euthanized.” Also: “marked degenerative joint disease of the right carpal joint.” Father was three.
Good Night Sally, Mar 8, High Pointe T
“Became acutely lame in RF after galloping out. Rider walked her back to the barn where she became severely lame. [Horse] distressed, owner elected to euthanize.” The injury: “displaced slab fracture.” The report also notes: “This was the fourth breeze back while returning from a layoff after an issue with the LF after its first and only start on Jun 17, 2024.” The “it” in question had just turned three three days prior.
God’s Favor, Apr 18, Churchill T
“Horse pulled up lame after breeze: complete condylar fracture, cartilage markedly excoriated.” Then this: “Palmar osteochondral disease is a recognized predisposing lesion to condylar fractures in racehorses, as evidenced in this case.” God’s was five.
Dude N Colorado, Apr 30, Keeneland S
“Severe necrotizing cellulitis of the ventral neck; fibrinosuppurative pleuritis.” Dude, five, had been sick for five days.
We’re living in a SICK cruel society…I will choose ANIMALS over people EVERY single G.D. time😼
This really is the epitome of cruelty to horses. The idea of running our ponies or our horses and whipping them to run faster until they bleed or their bones break was not in our thoughts or our vocabulary when we (my siblings and I) were growing up. For this heinous cruelty to be a “normal” part of horseracing is abhorrent.