The NYS Gaming Commission has announced that 5-year-old M P Joe, who was listed on this weekend’s ambulance report, was, in fact, euthanized after being vanned off Saturday at Aqueduct. Of the 12 NY horses vanned off since we began…
The following, unless otherwise noted, were “vanned off” American tracks this weekend. Friday: 3-year-old Kentucky Gem, Retama, race 7 Saturday: 5-year-old M P Joe, Aqueduct, race 6 4-year-old Baby Harlow, Charles Town, race 9 (“broke down”) 4-year-old Another Trick, Churchill…
In yesterday afternoon’s 9th race at Parx, 3-year-old National Prayer broke down and was killed. The colt, passed around like an unruly foster child, was under his fourth different trainer in the past 12 months. Worse, in that same span,…
Britain’s Animal Aid maintains a running list of Thoroughbreds killed on British tracks. It does so because, out of self-preservation, the racing people won’t. Sure, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) generously tells us “about 2 in every thousand runners are…
The following, unless otherwise noted, were “vanned off” American tracks this week. Monday: 4-year-old Starship Sultry, Gulfstream, race 7 (“broke down”) 3-year-old The Man Himself, Parx, race 9 (confirmed dead) 4-year-old Double Java Girl, Turf Paradise, race 4 Tuesday: 6-year-old…
The Daily Racing Form (11/14/13) reports that 6-year-old Turallure, two years removed from winning the Woodbine Mile, was killed today “shortly after breaking down in a routine gallop at Keeneland…” Trainer Charlie LoPresti: “This is just awful for all of…
The News 4 I-Team (Washington) reports (11/13/13) that the Charles Town racetrack in West Virginia – one of the nation’s busiest, running, basically, year-round – has recorded 54 2013 deaths (46 in-competition) through 9/4, and 144 over the past two…
David Willmot, former CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group (owner of the prestigious Woodbine Racetrack), gave a 2001 speech on the then-state of Ontario Horseracing (which has since taken a significant turn for the worse). With uncommon candor, at least for…
In yesterday’s 9th race at Parx, 3-year-old The Man Himself “broke down in the opening quarter mile and was humanely euthanized.” Had he lived, the colt, who was claimed prior to the race, would have been laboring under a 4th…
Yesterday, a 5-year-old stallion named Parcel, who last raced in March 2012, fractured a leg while “breezing” at Aqueduct. He was killed. Also on Sunday, at Zia Park in New Mexico, a pair of 2-year-olds making their debuts were vanned…
The following, unless otherwise noted, were “vanned off” American tracks this weekend. Friday: 4-year-old Windswept Summer, Charles Town, race 8 (“broke down”) 3-year-old How Bout Junior, Laurel Park, race 2 (“lame,” vanned off) 3-year-old Crabapple, Thistledown, race 4 (“lame,” vanned…
Back in the spring of 2012, Governor Cuomo’s office ordered the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to investigate a spate of racing fatalities (30, in all) at Aqueduct’s 2012 winter meet. Ultimately, the Racing and Wagering Board (RWB) appointed a…