Safer Racing, Brought to You by HISA: Six Horses Killed Between Parx and Horseshoe This Week

Yesterday, I reported that a third horse has been confirmed killed racing at Parx Tuesday. Having been doing this a long time, I can’t recall ever reporting more than two racing kills at one track on the same day. (It’s possible it’s happened before, but, alas, I’d have to go through 13 years and 13,000 kills to find out.)

Tuesday and Wednesday at Horseshoe this week, three horses “returned home in the equine ambulance.” And now, updates from the stewards:

Tuesday, race 2: “The winner of the race, Solo Venturi, suffered an injury to the RF leg. The rider, Axel Conception, pulled up the horse right after the injury occurred but still ended up winning the race. Horse was vanned off and was humanely euthanized in the barn area.” Solo was four. The complicit (among others): William Walden and Concepcion – who, as mentioned, made damn sure the mortally-injured Solo “still ended up winning the race,” a “win,” incidentally, that was worth almost $22K. Vile.

Wednesday, race 6: “Dark Rye suffered an injury, was vanned off, and was humanely euthanized in the barn area.” Dark Rye was three; in his only other three races, he finished a combined 35 lengths back. Chief exploiters: Barr Inman, Michelle Lovell, Jane Elliott.

Wednesday, race 8: “Speightsy Rival pulled up at the 1/2 pole, was vanned off, and was humanely euthanized in the barn area.” Speightsy, too, was three. Her primary exploiters: Dr. Steve Conboy, Lacy Pierce, Orlando Mojica.

So, to recap: Three horses killed at Parx Tue. Three horses killed at Horseshoe Tue/Wed. And those are just racing kills; others may have died training or back in the stalls on those days. Importantly, both tracks are covered under the “Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority,” which back in the spring boasted that (several years into its reign) “strong, consistent national standards [are making] racing safer.”

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8 Comments

  1. Debbie , the greatest hypocrisy of many! Baffert as part of HISA. The race trainer with the most horse deaths in a racing stable we have read of.

  2. How does anyone make something safe that is inherently dangerous and high-risk?
    How does anyone make something “safer” that is not safe and was never safe?
    There are “veterinarians” who have made a name for themselves by doing surgeries on injured racehorses that suffered racing specific injuries/broken bones.
    Look at Rood & Riddle as a prime example of veterinarians profiting from racehorses that suffered broken bones from racing. Patricia Hogan with the Latin version of the DVM degree made a name for herself as a surgeon doing surgery on racehorses with broken bones caused by racing.
    Racing is inherently dangerous and high-risk and certain people choose to profit from it. More people need to get their heads out of the sand and stop participating in this barbaric mistreatment of horses. Placing a bet on a horse is participating in the cruelty.

  3. Horse Racing: Where horses run for their lives.

    Horseracing: Where horses go to die.

  4. Medaglia D’oro lived a long life …wtf did he even do? I’m worried about the horses who are here now being abused and dying.

  5. Imagine winning the race but losing your life over a crummy $22,000 purse which will be of no good to the dead horse! Sad,sad,sad. This industry of the “Crooked,Crummy,Gamboling Game” can`t disappear fast enough! This industry IS going down as is exhibited by the declining #s of foals being born & the declining #`s of breeding stock participation as shown by the Jockey Club`s own data in their individual states analysis.

  6. To profit from the abuse and torture of horses is morally depraved.
    This egregious cruelty to horses must be broadcast on the evening news at some point because it is so egregious.

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