Through a FOIA request to the Delaware Dept. of Agriculture, I have confirmed the following 20 kills at that state’s two tracks last year. Please note, however, that the Department did not disclose any stall deaths – so this list is surely incomplete.
Heffernan, Mar 18, Delaware T – “humerus fracture”
Heffernan was two years old and being prepped for his first race.
Running Statue, Apr 7, Delaware T – “humerus fracture”
Running was three years old.
Little Hot Mess, Apr 24, Delaware T – “open [through the skin] fracture”
Little was five years old.
Stella d’Amore, May 28, Delaware R (euth Jun 2) – “deep laceration, infection”
Stella was four years old.
Operation Varsity, Jun 14, Delaware R – “fetlock disarticulation”
Operation was three years old; this was his first ever race.
Brushback, Jun 18, Delaware R – “sesamoid fracture”
Brushback was five years old.
Petit Fils, Jul 5, Delaware T – “sudden death”
Petit was 10 years old.
Spanish Delight, Aug 2, Delaware R – “fell – sudden death”
Spanish was seven years old.
Thea’s Theme, Aug 30, Delaware T – “sudden death”
Thea’s was eight years old.
Diabloness, Sep 5, Delaware T – “tibia fracture”
Diabloness was two years old and being prepped for his first race.
Boogaard, Sep 11, Delaware R – “fell – sudden death”
Boogaard was two years old – “sudden death” – and this was his very first race.
Magnolia Prime, Sep 13, Delaware R – “fell: fractured skull”
Magnolia was three years old.
Rosies Cornet, Sep 27, Delaware R – “[multiple] fractures”
Rosies was two years old.
Cardinale, Oct 2, Delaware R – “fell…euthanized”
Cardinale was four years old.
Swiftness, Nov 18, Delaware T – “shoulder fracture”
Swiftness was two years old and being prepped for his first race.
Brookview Fancy, Nov 26, Dover R – “sudden death”
Brookview was three years old – “sudden death.”
Mr Catchaflight, Dec 2, Dover R – “sudden death”
Mr Catchaflight was two years old – “sudden death.”
She’s So Royal, Dec 5, Delaware T – “fell…euthanized”
She’s So Royal was three years old and being prepped for her first race.
Switched, Dec 8, Delaware T – “shoulder fracture”
Switched was two years old and being prepped for her first race.
Admiral Ballsy, Dec 31, Dover R – “sudden death”
Admiral was nine years old.
Since Jan 1, 2014, when Horseracing Wrongs began the unprecedented work of reporting kills in the U.S. horseracing industry, 210 (that we know about) horses have perished at Delaware’s two tracks. That’s 210 beautiful, intelligent, sensitive beings sacrificed for nothing more than lousy $2 bets. Are we not better than this, America?
RIP
P. S. The Iditarod sled dog race might actually be 1,049 miles. If the first one-thousand miles didn’t kill some of the dogs, that last 49 miles very possibly could.
Dogs are still being run to exhaustion and death in the 1,000-mile Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska. This race is totally unnecessary. It is a tradition to continue it. It is abusive and cruelty to the dogs. It needs to be banned. Dog owners who prioritize winning the race or attempting to win at the expense of the health, well-being, and literal lives of dogs should be arrested for Animal Cruelty.
People should boycott the businesses that sponsor and support the cruel and unnecessary Iditarod sled dog race.
Elizabeth, dog racing is just about extinct here in the US due to many injuries suffered by the Greyhounds. Here in Oregon we once had the 3rd or 4th most popular Greyhound track in the country, Mulnomah kennel club. I remember sitting in the bright red wooden chairs at a Thoroughbred farm here in Oregon. The farm & Greyhound racing are both long gone.
Since 2014, 210 racehorses have died at two tracks. Behind the number 210 were living beings, curious, social, intelligent horses. They didn’t choose the track.
They didn’t choose the risk. People chose it for them. If 210 dogs died in a betting sport, the country would shut it down. Why is it different for racehorses?
There is no justification.