After six years – 64 races – of gross exploitation and abuse, 9-year-old Coaltown Legend (original post here) has finally been retired, owing in large part to exposure from advocate Deborah Jones. On July 28th, Susan Salk, she with the…
In addition to Manda Moo, two other horses have been reported as broke down this week and can be presumed dead: On Monday, 8-year-old Be a Pro – a “pro” for 4 1/2 years, 41 starts – “took a bad…
There is a reason why 90% of racing’s kills are reported as “broke down,” as opposed to “humanely euthanized” or some form thereof: The latter is so jarring, so definitive, so final – dead. Still, that phrase – “humanely euthanized”…
7-year-old Makari, recently imported from Britain, is dead after breaking his neck in a steeplechase (race 1) this afternoon at Saratoga. Jack Doyle rode, Elizabeth Voss trained, and Merriebelle Stable owned. Curiously, the replay is missing from the NYRA website…
And so, as another young racehorse – Ludicrous – makes his way to the rendering plant, the air becomes fouled with the typical racing response. Writing in the Times Union (Albany) Saturday, Pete Iorizzo had this to say: “On Travers…
Virtually without exception, “broke down” is racing-speak for dead; “vanned off” translates to a better-than-even chance of dead. Broke Down: Bonnie Lass, Aug 18, Delaware 2 M B and Tee, Aug 21, Saratoga 7 (reported “euthanized”) Little Tower, Aug 22,…
7-year-old Magic Beam, a mostly career claimer, was killed while training this morning at Del Mar. Yes, Del Mar. For those who’ve lost count, that’s 15 dead where the turf meets the surf. Most recent “connections”: trainer Kristin Mulhall, owner…
Welcome to county-fair season, where cheap horses run for paltry purses at rinky-dink tracks under bottom-feeder trainers. To be sure, you won’t be reading a Paulick report on today’s 4th at Elko. But here, all horses are equal – in…
Ludicrous, making his inaugural start, “tragically broke down approaching the sixteenth marker…and was subsequently euthanized on the track” in this afternoon’s 4th race at Saratoga. Another dead pubescent racehorse, the second one this Travers Day. How proud you must be,…
Todd Pletcher-trained Kamarius was vanned off after the morning “breeze” today at Saratoga and was subsequently euthanized. He was two. This is the eighth death at Saratoga since the meet began and ninth on the year. For all NY tracks,…
A 2-year-old colt named Little Tower is dead after breaking down (“on his own”) in last night’s 3rd race at Del Mar. He was ridden by William Antongeorgi, trained by Sal Gonzalez, and owned/bred by Tricar Stables. Little Tower –…
Horseracing, we are told, is a proud sporting fraternity, an extended family, if you will, comprised of both people – breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys, etc. – and the equine “athletes” themselves. So when the House of Saratoga lost yet another…
