The following horses were injured in U.S. races last week and had to be removed from the track by “equine ambulance.” While fates remain unknown at this time, we will eventually get death confirmations on many, if not most, through our FOIA reporting. Note, also, that “bled” is shorthand for pulmonary hemorrhage – bleeding in the lungs.
Cenzontle at Mountaineer
Lets Fly Bye at Evangeline
I Am Sizzlin at Evangeline
Awesome Harry at Penn (video here)
Hotty Five Bar at Evangeline
Discrepancy at Los Alamitos (also “ran through outer fence”)
Uncaptured Warrior at Charles Town
Cajun Dance at Fair Grounds
Surfin Bayou at Fair Grounds
Just Another Dream at Remington
Beybe Beto at Tampa Bay
Devilish One at Laurel (also fell)
And then, not reported as ambulanced off, but…
Warheaded “hit rail, DNF” at Parx
Mic’d Up “bled” at Charles Town
El Dies Coronas “hit rail, DNF” at Zia
Fred and Joan,
SURFIN BAYOU is only one among thousands of underdeveloped Thoroughbred foals so exploited at such young ages. In the past over one-hundred or more years, there would logically have been untold thousands of young and underdeveloped colts and fillies that were injured and killed that were not yet under the jurisdiction of a State Racing Commission. The weanlings, yearlings, and two-year-olds in training exploited at the Keeneland Breeders’ Sales and the Ocala Breeders’ Sales are not under the jurisdiction of the State Racing Commissioners.
It is absolutely morally depraved and NOT HORSEMANSHIP at all to exploit horses in such a way as this.
What is worse, in my opinion, about Louisiana is that they appear to have no ethical principles to deny trainers who violate doping rules set by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
Also, jockeys who have violated the whipping rules and have been suspended at HISA “regulated” racetracks and were suspended because of the repeated and blatant violations are welcome to practice their particular brand of abuse of horses at Louisiana racetracks.
Wanda, despicable is being easy on those who pushed a completely undeveloped young yearling into sales! We have always gone by REAL foaling dates for a horse & no the fake, artificial made up birthday. At one time the universal foaling date was we believe was June. Changed in the 1800`s. This poor young horse was not even 3! Think of all the hard gallops he was subjected to so young.
SURFIN BAYOU, a Louisiana-bred, was born on April 22, 2023.
He was put through the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company 2024 Winter Mixed Sale (January 2024) and SOLD for $2,000. He would have been considered a Yearling by the racing industry’s standard of using January 1st as the birthday for all Thoroughbreds regardless of their biological birthday. So he would have been NINE MONTHS OLD while being exploited as a ‘Yearling’ the first time around at auction.
He was put through the Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale 2024 and was NOT SOLD; $19,000, RNA (Reserve Not Attained).
He was put through the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds In Training 2025 and SOLD for $30,000.
He was raced at Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 6, 2025 in Race #4 and Did Not Finish.
This young and underdeveloped colt/gelding was exploited for money by many different people.
Despicable exploitation of horses is what this industry is.
RIP
Have just read that Hastings Park is no more. The casino subsidies have been taken away. Also read that the city of Vancouver B.C. owned the property but now is to be sold to a local Native peoples group. They want to develop the existing casino to a larger extent & have no interest in racing.
Both Cajun Dance and Surfin Bayou are(were) trained by Larry Rivelli. Both broke down in the same race, a “cheap 2 yr old maiden claimer”.
Sounds like Larry was trying to dump 2 non-competitive horses by any means possible.
Per the folks on twitter, neither breakdown looked hopeful for survival.