Through a FOIA request to the Maine Dept. of Agriculture, I was able to confirm the following deaths at that state’s harness tracks last year (there is no Thoroughbred racing left in the whole of New England).
Bet on Success, May 17, Cumberland R
“Horse broke down on the track – both sesamoids broken. Horse was put down.” Bet on Success was 11 years old.
Bunkndunk, Jul 6, Bangor R (euth Jul 14)
“[Injured]…severely infected coffin joint.” State Vet: “In all [my] years practicing veterinary work, [I] have never seen an infection so bad.” Bunkndunk was 11 years old.
Perfect Force, Jul 9, Bangor R
“Horse broke down – cannon fracture.” Perfect was six years old.
Speak of War, Sep 3, Bangor R
“Warming up [pre-race], horse went down – [sudden death].” Speak was five years old.
Lucky Michael, Oct 26, Bangor R
“Horse suffered catastrophic injury to left rear leg – shattered pastern. With very dim prognosis…horse was euthanized.” Lucky, 10, had also been raced four days prior.
Empire City Fr, Nov 6, Bangor S
“Horse fell; within minutes of falling, horse passed away – severe, acute pulmonary hemorrhage.” Empire was 11 years old.
Ten-year-old LUCKY MICHAEL was not lucky at all to be owned, exploited, used, abused by people who would race him to the point of suffering a catastrophic injury to his left rear leg, a shattered pastern.
For the human monsters to have raced him on October 22 and then again four days later on October 26 to the point of a fatal injury indicates that these people should be defrocked by the United States Trotting Association and arrested for Animal Cruelty.
Why do stewards and veterinarians and racing secretaries allow such hideous cruelty to a horse by accepting an entry of a horse into a race that was raced 4 days prior? Don’t any of these people have any sense of anything decent at all???
These people in Maine harness racing really prove themselves to be disgusting and despicable!
BUNKNDUNK was abused and neglected by his human monster connections to the point of a severe coffin joint infection which makes me wonder also about how often they bother to clean the horse’s stall among other things.
The degree of cruelty to horses in this industry of racing needs to be enough to put them in jail. It really is not okay for people to let this go as if it were okay because THIS CRAP IS NOT OKAY at all.