Notwithstanding the (at least) two horses killed on its final weekend, Aqueduct Racetrack was given a happy sendoff Sunday. The final race was dubbed, “It Was a Good Run,” and NYRA CEO David O’Rourke told the TDN: “It’s been a fun day. This crowd is amazing. They came out to give the old girl one last shout out. … This is a good way to go out.”
But perhaps the most perverse item in the TDN’s coverage was this:
“After winning the 4th race…trainer Michelle Nevin had a broad smile on her face. … ‘It’s good to win a race anywhere. But Aqueduct has been very good to me. I have spent a lot of time here and have great memories here. Will I miss this place? Always.'” That would be the same Michelle Nevin who trained War Anthem to his death just Friday. Disgusting.
A fan named Basil Dryce added this: “I think this [the closing] is a tragedy and it shouldn’t be happening.” A “tragedy,” huh? How about this for tragic – the surely-not-complete list of horses killed at Aqueduct just since we’ve been doing this (2014).
Uncle Smokey – “took bad step, fractured cannon, euthanized on track”
Dixie Sparkle – “fell, sustained cannon fracture, euthanized on track”
Andromeda’s Coming – “collided with [another horse]”
Sound of Drums – “[multiple] fractures”
Concept – “fractured humerus while training”
Jojonotjoelowe – “sustained injury while galloping”
Aussi Austin – “pulled up, ambulanced off, euthanized”
yet-to-be-named 2-year-old – “suffered cardiovascular event and died after breezing”
Bear’s Spirit – “[multiple] fractures”
Summer Sunset – “sustained fractured leg, euthanized on track”
Jesses Giant Dunk – “stumbled after race, ligament rupture, euthanized”
Knockher Off – “fell after finish, horse died on track [from] apparent neck trauma”
Cherokee Artist – “pulled up, ambulanced off, euthanized”
Princes On Thelake – “fell at 1/4 pole, euthanized”
Warrior’s Hero – “pulled up, ambulanced off, euthanized”
Quick Money – “fell – horse died on track due to neck trauma”
Half Nelson – “fell over fallen horse [above], euthanized”
Sage Valley – “fell after finish, horse died on track”
Ludo Bagman – “[multiple] fractures”
Celebrate We Will – “ambulanced off, euthanized”
Wicked Irish – “[multiple] fractures”
yet-to-be-named 2-year-old – “colic, euthanized”
Clawback – “found down in stall, euthanized”
Golden Bay – “fractured leg”
Shewreckstheplace – “[multiple] fractures”
Channel of Love – “fractured leg”
Apex – “fell, fractured leg”
Italian Rules – “torn suspensory”
You Take the Cake – “fell – fractured neck”
Senso – “ran into rail”
Miss Macarena – “fractured leg”
Risk the Moon – “fell, fractured leg”
Subtle Humor – “fractured leg”
Con Sneaky – “fell, fractured tibia”
Zenstone – “fractured leg”
Otoy – “fell after sustaining humeral fracture while galloping”
Mr. O’Leary – “sustained fractured leg while breezing”
Reyana an Reya Act – “slab fracture”
Little Love – “leg fracture”
Blooper – “collapsed and died”
Successful Sweep – “fell: [multiple] fractures, dislocated fetlock”
Mr Reid – “found dead in stall”
Start It Up – “laminitis both front feet”
The Lewis Dinner – “chronic throat infection from surgery 45 days ago”
Uncle Duncan – “sesamoid fracture”
Bellamy Xpress – “fractured leg”
Wild Target – “collapsed and died after breezing”
Alysaro – “fractured leg”
Kibble – “pulled up lame, suspected pelvic fracture, went into shock”
Cuantos – “fell, sustained fractures of cannon and sesamoids”
Black Doblin – “fractured leg”
Our Sweet Lilly – “leg fracture”
Kim Royale – “pelvic fracture, no improvement overnight, euthanized next morning”
Condo Prince – “fractured cannon – euthanized on track”
Actively – “died in stall – apparent colic”
Prince Zurs – “suspensory issue”
Charming Vicky – “[multiple] fractures”
Lost Note – “fell, euthanized on track”
Kristi Q – “flipped over hitting head, died”
Blameiton Brooklyn – “slab fracture”
Frat Star – “fell, [multiple] fractures, euthanized on track”
Regulus – “[multiple] fractures, euthanized on track”
Read the Dream – “slab fracture, euthanized on track”
Second City – “fractured leg, euthanized on track”
Cespedes – “fractured leg”
Flatterfly – “fell, fractured leg, euthanized on track”
Papa Freud – “vanned off and euthanized”
Hy Brasil – “suffered a fatal musculoskeletal injury, euthanized on track”
Iggy Loco – “vanned off and euthanized”
Fusaichi Red – “fractured P1”
Fortune Faded – “euthanized for chronic, severe laminitis”
Shotgun Love – “euthanized for severe laminitis both front feet”
Sing the Dream – “fell at the 3/8 pole, suffered fracture, euthanized on track”
Purring On Empty – “pulled up after finish, fracture”
A Fleet Attitude – “bad step after finish, fractured cannon, euthanized on the track”
Motown Sound – “pulled up after finish – [multiple] fractures”
Threefortyfive – “fractured cannon”
Milo Milo – “pulled up, vanned off, euthanized”
Overdraft – “fractured pelvis”
K’s Cabernet – “fractured cannon, euthanized on track”
Gotcha Gabin – “injured, euthanized on track”
Smooth Move – “sustained pelvic fracture”
Andesine – “collapsed and died after walking down the track”
Three Perfections – “suffered fatal injury”
Bluegrass Flash – “sheath laceration”
Consensus Thinking – “sustained injury, euthanized on track”
Big Mischief – “sustained injury, euthanized on track”
Jeter – “horse died while being treated for acute colic”
Westerdale – “suffered RH fracture, euthanized on track”
Tommy T – “[multiple] fractures, euthanized on track”
Tiger Man – “sustained injury to LF leg”
Queen of Umaill – “pulled up lame, euthanized”
Candy Smile – “injury to left front”
Clear the Ramp – “suffered a catastrophic injury”
Dark N Cloudy – “broke down – euthanized on track”
Quizzical Cajun – “catastrophic injury, euthanized on track”
Montauk Memories – “leg injury”
Mr. Tag – “exam revealed necessity for euthanasia”
Sky of Hook – “injuries necessitating euthanasia”
Stay Fond – “suffered an injury to her RF leg”
Tied Up – “returned in distress, collapsed fatally”
Thursday – “[multiple] fractures”
Hit It Once More – “[multiple] fractures”
Sander’s Empire – “suffered an injury, euthanized on track”
Spy Story – “took bad steps”
Nisbet Beach – “fell heavily…euthanized on track”
Creative Style – “took a bad step”
Kiss Me Dave – “fell fatally”
Unrelenting Force – “sustained injury to RF leg”
Genetic Gem – “injury freezing hind end, euthanized on track”
Rosey’s Peach – “found in distress, euthanized”
Noli Temere – “broke down”
Sweet Mary Lou – “pulled up, vanned off, later died”
Big Little Risk – “took a bad step”
Cara’s Daydreamer – “injured past the wire”
Obsessed – “suffered an injury approaching 3/4 pole”
Winetastic – “suffered an injury, euthanized on the track”
Johnny Fontaine – “suffered an injury nearing 1/8 pole”
A Colt Named Susie – “suffered an injury…euthanized on track”
Cazilda Fortytales – “collapsed fatally”
Lord Licorice – “fell heavily, euthanized on track”
River of No Return – “fell heavily to ground…euthanized on track”
Azaria – “catastrophic injury, distress, euthanized on track”
Towering Orbit – “pulled up, vanned off, euthanized”
Cajun Commander – “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Stormy Lass – “collapsed and died after wire”
Biondi – “pulled up, vanned off, euthanized”
Ninth Hour – “suffered significant injury, euthanized”
Tapizearance – “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Firing Carol – “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Garth Road – “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Slow Down Summer – “vanned off in distress, euthanized”
She’s a Black Belt – “injured foreleg, vanned off, euthanized”
Jelly Nougat – “suffered injury, euthanized on track”
Amman – “sustained injury to RF”
Practical Julia – “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Perceived – “injured after finish, euthanized on track”
Moon Frolic – “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Perfect Senorita – “catastrophic injury, euthanized on the course”
Bowl of Cherries – “collapsed, pronounced dead”
Holding Au Pair – “flipped over [after race]”
R B’s the Boss – “fell heavily, euthanized”
Foreign Influence – “fell heavily, euthanized on track”
Howzyourcashflow – “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Frosty Invasion – “vanned off, euthanized”
Diamond Collector – “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Midtown Rose – “suffered injury”
Listentoyourheart – “euthanized due to severity [of] fractures”
Flip’s Dream – “collapsed and died on the track”
Login Required – “collapsed after wire, died – unknown cause”
Authorize – “horse collapsed, euthanized on track”
Freddymo Factor – “vanned off, health declined”
Destin’s Mission – “suffered injury, health declined”
Secret Money – “horse experienced [multiple] fractures”
Cinderella’s Cause – “[multiple] fractures”
Uncorrelated – “cardiac event, collapsed, died on track”
Night Effect – “horse experienced injury”
Jemography – “catastrophic injury, fell, euthanized on track”
Steppin’ Hawk – “fractured knee”
Black Rain – “horse experienced multiple fractures to LH leg”
Belle of the Ball – “full carpus-to-fetlock spiraling cannon fracture”
Dr. Barry – “suffered displaced fracture”
Anarchist – “[multiple] fractures, [multiple] surgeries”
Ferris Muler – “experienced a fracture”
Spun and Won – “catastrophic injury, euthanized on track”
Sweet Rhythm – “fell heavily…euthanized on track”
Cara’s Dreamchaser – “[multiple] fractures, suspensory failure”
Heavyweight Champs – “catastrophic injury, euthanized on track”
The Golden Gorilla – “suffered injury, transported off, euthanized”
Good Money – “LF fracture, due to poor prognosis horse was euthanized”
E Z Bourbon – “transported off track via ambulance, euthanized”
Morlock – “apparent cardiac event”
War Anthem – “broke down, euthanized on the course”
She’s Grand – “vanned off, euthanized”
