Through a FOIA request to the Maryland Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at Laurel Park thus far this year. (The MD reports offer about as much detail – including photos – as any in the nation. Here are past ones.)
Mr. Supreme, Jan 3, Laurel T
“Fell: open, dislocated RF fetlock fracture; bilateral, compound, comminuted fractures of both RF sesamoids; marked hemorrhage and soft tissue damage. Euthanized on the track.” Also: “degenerative joint disease [all four limbs].” They added this: “right eye missing from postmortem predation.” Mr. Supreme, below (with “postmortem predation”), was two.
Latta, Jan 17, Laurel R
“Comminuted fractures of both LF sesamoids, damage to joint capsule.” Also: “degenerative joint disease [all four limbs].” Latta, below, was four.
Nora’s Aura, Jan 23, Laurel T
“Broke down just before 1/8 pole: open, comminuted cannon fracture; marked hemorrhage and soft tissue damage. Euthanized on the track.” Also: “stomach contained several bot-induced ulcers.” Nora’s, below, was two and being prepped for her first race.
Blamesomeoneelse, Jan 23, Laurel T
“[Horse] was about to break off to breeze when she broke her left tibia. The fracture was open with protruding [bone] and the filly was down. She was euthanized on the track.” Blamesomeoneelse, below, was two and being prepped for her first race.
Ravi, Feb 12, Laurel R
“Multiple tibia fractures, marked hemorrhage and tissue damage.” Ravi, below, was two.
Dazzy, Mar 25, Laurel T
“Broke down near 7/8 pole: compound, comminuted P1 fracture; marked cartilage damage from the trauma. Euthanized on the track.” Also: “degenerative joint disease [two limbs].” Dazzy was six.
A Cozy Thing, Apr 4, Laurel T
“Comminuted fetlock fracture, hemorrhage in soft tissue.” Also: “degenerative joint disease [all four limbs].” A Cozy Thing was four.
Hit Zero, May 15, Laurel R
“Colt collapsed on the racetrack and suffered a sudden death.” Cause: “hemorrhage in the mediastinum and periaortic region at the base of the heart.” Hit Zero was three.
Sharmin, Jun 5, Laurel R
“[Horse] suddenly ducked out unseating [jockey]. [Horse] continued running loose toward outside fence, where she collided with an outrider and her pony. The impact was severe, knocking both horses to the ground. Disarticulated fetlock with marked damage to the joint capsule and complete fracture of the distal radius. Euthanized on the track.” They added: “fetlock was completely dislocated and essentially turned around.” Also: “degenerative joint disease [all four limbs].” Sharmin was five.
Those beautiful young horses reduced to being strung up and displaying those ghastly injuries is sickening.
It is amazing that those photos were released. The people involved must be thoroughly desensitized.
How can anyone in this business continue to subject these noble animals to such suffering and carnage is mind boggling.
And yet it continues day in and day out.
As an owner told me in 1986 at Lone Oak Park in Salem, Oregon, “Racing is a trap” both to horses & the many unfortunate people who try to survive in it. We once tried to survive as a high functioning autistic people in the industry. We should have listened to that owner & the English born & trained jockey we rode with. The English jockey said, “Racing is just a crooked, crummy, gamboling game” The truth we discovered the hard way in the middle of Portland Meadows home stretch on May 10th, 2004 at 8:58 am. Have racing die & go away for the sake of the innocent horses & slow to understand this really bad industry we once were a part of. Let it die! No tax supports or casino supplements.
Are you aware?
Do you care?
These are the two questions upon which any change hinges. One can be aware, and not care (the industry). One can be aware, and care (horse racing opponents). One can be unaware, and not care if they became so. Lastly, one can be unaware, but care if they became so. It is this last group that is our hope for change. Thank you Patrick and HW for sparing nothing to increase the awareness factor that is the cornerstone of change.
Maryland seems to be proud of their carnage, whereas most states try to hide the true numbers of horses killed.
If California was as open and forthcoming with necropsy pictures of dead horses killed by racing specific injuries accompanied with detailed necropsy reports, I think they would lose more “fans” a lot sooner.
If it were true that racehorses are treated so amazingly well, they would not be doing every sneaky trick to hide the carnage in California, West Virginia, Louisiana, Florida, and multiple other states where horses are treated like disposable chattel.
This is a prime example of why I have no sympathy for anyone who can do this to horses and demand more money from our government to support their sadistic cruelty to horses. Our government should be punishing people for Animal Cruelty to horses.
Horse racing is sadistic and cruel to the core. There should be NO CORPORATE WELFARE for sadistically abusing horses.
How can anyone from bottom to top, necropsy to rendering plant with a moral fiber condone this travesty? It’s a disgrace.
If you don’t find these photos frightening or if they don’t give you a feeling of nausea, disgust, and anxiety, nothing will. These photos are difficult to look at, but they document the reality behind the spectacle. Every fatal breakdown represents an animal that suffered for the sake of entertainment and profit. If the industry wants to defend itself, it should be willing to confront the evidence in these photos. The risks imposed on these horses can NEVER be justified.