What follows are some (100) of the more repellent kills on American tracks last year. Two notes: While stall deaths are no less important (or gruesome), I’ve only included the on-track (racing/training) variety. Also, by virtue of both volume and detail, I have not included Kentucky kills as I believe they warrant a standalone view.
“open fracture”: bone broke through the skin; “comminuted fracture”: bone shattered into multiple pieces; “displaced fracture”: bone snapped out of place
Acceleray, Jan 4
“Complete, displaced, open fractures of MC2, MC3, and MC4.”
Summer Reign, Jan 13
“Rider heard popping sound: complete, comminuted humerus fracture.”
Spice V, Jan 24
“Fell – trauma.” (video)
Dont Fight the Fed, Jan 25
“Complete, displaced, open fractures of MC2, MC3, and MC4; suspensory ligament completely torn.”
Always A Panther, Feb 13
“Lung hemorrhages – staggered, collapsed, died.”
Kimberly’s Devil, Feb 15
“Flipped, hit head – extensive cerebral hemorrhage.”
One Favorite Racy, Feb 23
“Complete, displaced fractures of the intermediate, ulnar, third, and fourth carpal bones of the LF leg.” (two years old)
Baby Lady, Feb 23
“Collapsed and died – comminuted fracture of C3 [vertebra].”
Hurricane Harvey, Feb 25
“[Multiple] fractures with acute, severe hemorrhages.” (one year old)
Signor Valentino, Feb 25
“Horse fell – severe, comminuted neck fracture.”
Low and Fast, Mar 2
“[Multiple] complete, displaced, comminuted fractures; torn joint capsule; severe hemorrhage.”
Marilyn Attack, Mar 14
“Avulsion fracture – cartilage completely torn from the [bone].”
Sausage, Mar 14
“Complete, comminuted humerus fracture; extensive muscle tearing and hemorrhage.”
Cs Gray Ghost, Mar 16
“Fell past wire, lumbar trauma.” (two years old)
Midnite Kiss, Mar 19
“Fracture of L7 vertebra with ventral displacement of fracture fragment leading to acute compression of the spinal cord.” (one year old)
Walt’s Ranger, Apr 3
“Severely comminuted tibia fracture – distal half of limb hangs at unnatural angle.”
Fast Pace Dot, Apr 4
“Impaled rail into chest cavity.” (two years old)
Ts Kiss My Tail, Apr 8
“Horse fell: multiple neck fractures, spinal cord severely fragmented, massive hemorrhage in surrounding muscles.” (two years old, first ever race)
This Chic Kickin Tale, Apr 10
“[Multiple] open tibial fractures, 12 fragments within joint; [multiple] torn ligaments.” (two years old)
Rock the Nite, Apr 15
“Fell dead on track due to possible heart attack.”
This Is Gloria, Apr 26
“Flipped in paddock hitting hip and tail head, allowed to run, pulled up past wire, vanned off, found dead in stall [next day]. Cause: ruptured femoral artery.”
Magical Maya A, Apr 29
“Distressed, collapsed, expired before track vet reached her.”
Royal Heroo, May 2
“Horse was hit with force on each side by [other] horses.” (two years old, first ever race)
Julio Lauxmont, May 2
“Severe hemorrhage leading to hypovolemia, shock, and sudden death.” (13 years old)
Louies Hightime Dash, May 4
“[Multiple] open fractures – approximately a dozen fragments embedded in adjacent muscle and soft tissues; [multiple] ruptured tendons and ligaments.”
Afternoon Heat, May 15
Vet: “Horse slowed down after work, stopped, shook, had seizure-like activity, and dropped to the ground. It [‘it,’ not he] was dead when I arrived 4-6 minutes later.”
J Willard, May 17
“Multiple open fractures, complete dislocation of joint, ligament torn and frayed, tendon completely ruptured.”
J R Bordeaux, May 18
“Went down, rolled three times: compound fracture – visible break, external bleeding.”
Peterbilts Bro, May 20
“Horse stumbled, collapsed, stopped breathing and died.” (four years old)
San Lorenzo Legacy, May 24
“Fell: open, comminuted, displaced fracture.” (video)
Beast of Delaware, May 29
“Horse took bad step and went down hard on track, face first – external sign of head trauma from impact.”
Larryknocksoutsandra, May 29
“Fetlock completely disarticulated with pastern and foot displaced dorsally. Distal third of cannon and all surrounding structures exposed and covered by dirt. Phalanx 1-3 remains attached to limb via skin and tendons. Sesamoid has open, complete, comminuted fracture. Suspensory ligament completely ruptured and covered by dirt.” (two years old)
Rocky Seas, May 31
“Horse flipped, suffered head trauma, massive hemorrhage.”
Spooky Lady, Jun 1
“Pelvic fracture, found deceased [six days later].”
Marmaris, Jun 7
“Collapsed, fractured skull, profuse blood from nostril.”
Eg Cliff Money, Jun 13
“Fell: [multiple] complete vertebral fractures with complete avulsion, large quantities of hemorrhage.”
Whirlaway Twister, Jun 20
“Collapsed during morning training – bled out.” (three years old)
Famous King, Jun 20
“Broke both front legs.” (three horses died in this same race)
Wild Princess, Jun 21
“Fell: multiple [at least five] open fractures; severed suspensory.”
Mg La Viciosa, Jun 26
“Fell: pelvis fracture.” (video)
Mr. Dreamcycle, Jun 28
“Horse went down, couldn’t stand back up: [multiple] displaced vertebral fractures, compression of spinal cord, hemorrhage within spinal canal.”
Big Mama Thornton, Jun 29
“Pulmonary hemorrhage suggestive of exertional heat illness/heatstroke.”
Candys Cause, Jun 29
“Vanned off to test barn, [then] dropped and died.” (three years old)
Optic Way, Jul 6
“Horse flipped, hit head, died: multiple severe skull fractures, brainstem completely severed and exposed, cranial spinal cord and sphenoid sinus exposed.”
Shaykin, Jul 6
“Bled [pulmonary hemorrhage], died in ambulance.” (two years old)
No Telling, Jul 7
“Horse broke down – both LF sesamoids shattered.”
Proprietary Perry, Jul 11
“[Multiple] open fractures [in] gate.” (two years old)
Fire Me Twice, Jul 12
“Severe, comminuted fracture of the sixth lumbar vertebra with associated disc obliteration and hemorrhage into the spinal canal.”
Road Blue, Jul 12
“Acute, open, comminuted cannon fracture – pieces of bone missing.”
Candysfirst, Jul 19
“Spinal fracture leaving gate, splayed front legs.”
Starting Over, Jul 19
“Shattered sesamoids, dislocated fetlock, ruptured ligament, torn tendon.”
Fabulous Dasha Fire, Aug 2
“Rotational fall resulting in spinal fractures.”
I’m On Fire, Aug 6
“[Multiple] fractures, [multiple] ruptures, [multiple] tears, displaced joint, extensive hemorrhage.”
Juba’s Punch, Aug 7
“Spinal trauma.”
Hot Dusty Moon, Aug 9
“Severe, acute, open, complete, comminuted fracture of the right radius – extensive exposure of bone and surrounding fascia covered by thick layer of dirt and debris.”
I’m Lucky Bucky, Aug 12
“Horse was hit hard in race. Stiff and dull yesterday. This morning, assistant found him up against the stall with eyes rolled back in his head. He then died.” (three years old)
Frankie R., Aug 12
“Possible heatstroke.”
Lil Kell, Aug 13
“Horse jumped rail, skull cracked in fall, died almost immediately.”
Cross the Clouds, Aug 14
“Filly was slowing down in stretch when RH tibia snapped – euthanized immediately.”
Expansionary, Aug 22
“[Multiple] complete fractures, [multiple] complete ruptures, severe splitting and fraying, large open wound exposing the fetlock joint.”
Lift the Lid, Aug 23
“Flipped [twice], never made an attempt to rise and had tremendous amounts of blood pouring from both nostrils and mouth, also blood coming from both ears.”
Macey’s Magic Mojo, Aug 25
“Finished race and collapsed.” Vet: “When I got to the horse, respirations had stopped and there was no heartbeat.”
Active Duty, Aug 26
“Horse dropped and expired – possible heart attack.”
Majestic Venezuela, Aug 30
“Flipped and died on track: multiple severely comminuted and displaced skull fractures with compression and crushing of the brainstem, blood drained from nose and mouth and was present in inner ear canals.”
A Ryder’s Trick, Aug 30
“Fell: fractured MC2, MC3, MC4.”
Chattolanee Spring, Aug 31
“Rider heard loud pop and [horse] fell – bilateral comminuted humerus fractures.” (i.e., the 3-year-old shattered both front legs)
Bickerton, Aug 31
“Horse went down [with] catastrophic injury to pelvis: bilateral [both sides] comminuted, displaced fractures; extensive muscle tearing with ruptures; extensive hemorrhage into pelvic canal.” (two years old, first ever race)
Hurts So Bad, Aug 31
“Severe, acute multi-ligament ruptures with [multiple] fractures.”
Paint Me Mo Famous, Sep 1
“Horse was driven straight down into the ground and flipped end over end. Horse had a complete luxation of the RF pastern – which was open and severely contaminated – [and] a secondary injury above the left carpus. Horse was able to be loaded onto the trailer and removed from the track prior to being humanely euthanized.”
Oishi, Sep 1
“Complete, comminuted, displaced fracture. Trauma to the [following] surrounding soft tissues: digital flexor tendon, tendon sheath, suspensory ligament, and intersesamoidean ligament [as] evidenced by shredding, hemorrhage, edema and significant bruising.”
Tre Cruz, Sep 6
“Horse died after race.” (111th race)
Dasha, Sep 8
“Fell past wire, broken neck…no euthanasia necessary.” (two years old, first ever race)
Boogaard, Sep 11
“Fell – sudden death.” (two years old)
Magnolia Prime, Sep 13
“Fell: fractured skull.”
Billy the Greek, Sep 14
“Cardiac crisis – sudden death.” (four years old)
Bandera de Mexico, Sep 14
“[Multiple] fractured vertebrae, torn disc, compression of the spinal cord.” (two years old)
Yes Sir Colonel, Sep 20
“Collapsed – sudden death.” (66th race)
Uncle Hulka, Sep 20
“Horse flipped over – severe head trauma.”
Estefania Light, Sep 21
“[Multiple] complete, comminuted, displaced fractures – multiple missing fragments; ruptured tendon; several ligaments severely torn. The distal portion of the limb was attached to the proximal portion only by skin and tendons. Environmental debris – dirt, grass – contaminated the fracture site and was compacted in the cavity of the MC3.”
Chaste One, Sep 22
“Fell: severe, open, disarticulated fetlock.” (video)
Rumbrandt, Sep 24
“Massive trauma of head, neck, and thorax; trachea exposed. [Bled out].”
Loud Speaker, Oct 10
“Rider heard cracking sounds and horse went down.”
Silent Scheme, Oct 25
“Collision [with another horse] – broken neck.”
Seven Kats, Oct 29
“Jockey heard a loud popping sound and horse fell and rolled under rail: bilateral [both sides] severe, acute, comminuted scapular fractures with muscle maceration and hemorrhage.” (two years old)
Esmeray, Oct 30
“Multiple open, displaced, comminuted fractures; complete ruptures of multiple [at least seven] ligaments; rupture of joint capsule; complete tears of [multiple] tendons. Injuries resulted in fetlock failure [obviously], open luxation, and degloving [skin torn away].”
Puro Venenoo, Oct 31
“Fell: acute, displaced scapula fracture.” (video)
Racy Stacy, Nov 1
“Fell past wire: [multiple] acute fractures.” (video)
Tame the Tiger, Nov 8
“RF fetlock failure: [multiple] complete, displaced, comminuted fractures; multiple torn ligaments; multiple torn tendons; complete tear of joint capsule.”
Cayce in Gray, Nov 9
“Complete, displaced, comminuted tibia fracture; complete, displaced, comminuted fibula fracture; severe hemorrhage; tearing of vessels and muscle fibers.” (two years old)
Watdoyousay Jose, Nov 11
“Collapsed and died at 5/8 pole.” (three years old)
Stars Align, Nov 13
“[Horse] was galloping when [she] broke down: [multiple] comminuted fractures, open joint, tremendous soft-tissue damage, ligament completely ruptured.”
Miss Double Down, Nov 18
“Fell: [multiple] comminuted skull fractures with acute brain lacerations and hemorrhage.”
Crockett, Nov 25
“Fell approaching 1/8 pole: [multiple] compound fractures, disarticulated joint.”
Five Bars, Nov 29
“Catastrophic neck injury.” (two years old)
Tidal Forces, Nov 29
“Showed signs of distress [after wire], started to wobble, collapsed, and after approximately one minute on the ground, died.”
Sizzling Hottie, Dec 12
“Fell leaving gate: acute fracture.” (video)
Lively Lady, Dec 13
“[Horse] was training this morning and was reluctantly galloping counterclockwise when a loud pop was heard: severe, complete humerus fracture surrounded by a large amount of hemorrhage and muscle disruption.”
M J’s Yoshida, Dec 15
“Fell, resulting in hind-leg paralysis.”
Auntie Row, Dec 18
“Fell: acute, displaced fracture.” (video)
Within The Wild, Dec 23
“Ran through fence, deceased.”
And a state-by-state recap of our FOIA Reports:
Arizona
Colorado
Delaware
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming
