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The Oklahoma Racing Commission announced the following Friday:

“A REPORT WAS RECEIVED STATING THE HORSE JUST A KVN, WHICH PLACED 1ST IN THE 3RD RACE AT REMINGTON ON THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022, TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE D-METHAMPHETAMINE. ON JUNE 24, 2022, THE BOS AT RP DETERMINED THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE IS AT RISK AND REQUIRES EMERGENCY ACTION AND THE SUBSTANCE D-METHAMPHETAMINE CAN AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF A HORSE AND THE WELFARE OF THE BETTING PUBLIC, OTHER LICENSEES, AND HORSES IN HIS CARE. THEREFORE, IT IS THE ORDER OF THE BOS AT RP THAT OWNER/TRAINER ETNIEL SANABRIA IS SUMMARILY SUSPENDED EFFECTIVE JUNE 24, 2022, AND CONTINUING PENDING A HEARING AND FINAL DETERMINATION.”

“The public health, safety, and welfare is at risk – emergency action required.” Priorities, huh? And bet you didn’t know that methamphetamine “can affect the performance of a horse.” The “D” prefix, by the way, stands for dextro, the more potent of the two forms of meth – “more stimulating and psychoactive, [with] a higher abuse potential,” according to one medical site. The 2-year-old Just a Kvn has not been raced since the positive over a month ago.

This is horseracing.

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Anjaway “vanned off” at Horseshoe
Surprise Party “vanned off” at Prairie
Shell Fire “pulled up bleeding from the nostrils” at Thistledown
Super Steamy “vanned off” at Belterra
Call Me Carmelita “fell, DNF” at Finger Lakes
League of Shadows “vanned off” at Horseshoe
Alpha’s Candy Man “injured himself in the starting gate” at Parx
Play Ball “fell past the wire” at Thistledown
Flying Honeypot “vanned off” at Evangeline
Cara’s Dreamer “vanned off” at Belmont
Hpnotiq Rhythm “hit fallen rival, fell, DNF” at Canterbury
Dark Magic Mountain “hit rail” at Delta
T Money “hit rail” at Delta
The Geauxt “injured after wire, vanned off” at Delta
Cheap Cheap Cheap “vanned off” at Pleasanton
Nolans Moon “bled, vanned off” at Ruidoso
Max Talker “bled, vanned off” at Ruidoso
Lee La Dew “vanned off” at Hawthorne
Untwisted “vanned off” at Parx
Gfr Gone N Dun It “vanned off” at Prairie
Masterofthehounds “bled” at Thistledown
Country Club Bobby “returned bleeding bilaterally” at Thistledown
Maracuja “vanned off” at Thistledown
Valmont “bled” at Belmont
Loudmouthsoup “vanned off” at Churchill
Independence Law “vanned off” at Monmouth
Chiquito Baby “vanned off” at Monmouth
Bigg Daddys Bac “vanned off” at Prairie

While not all the “vanned” end up dead, most do, as borne out by our year-end FOIA reports. But even if death is not the ultimate result, the above are victims nonetheless, suffering painful injuries – in the case of the bleeders, pulmonary hemorrhage – so that some men may gamble, others chase pots of gold. (For any new confirmed deaths during the week, please see our running annual list.)

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Fox On the Run at Thistledown yesterday: “had good early speed inside, suffered an injury at the half mile marker, was pulled up and euthanized.” This one line is a perfect microcosm of general industry callousness – a fully sentient being is killed (for gambling), yet the chartwriter still sees “had good early speed inside” as relevant information. Sick. The Jevon Crumley-trained Fox was six.

More from Thistle yesterday: Two other horses, Masterofthehounds and Country Club Bobby, bled, the latter “bilaterally” (through both nostrils). Again, this type of bleeding originates in the lungs. And, “Maracuja suffered an injury to her left front in deep stretch and was vanned off.” Sounds bad, probably was (I will of course update).