Bunuska Dead at Charles Town
Reported merely as “pulled up lame, vanned off” at Charles Town Wednesday (race 4), 4-year-old Bunuska is in fact dead, euthanized, I have confirmed, at the track. Her trainer was Jeff Runco, her owner, Rockingham Ranch.
Patrick’s Blog
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4 Dead at Golden Gate, 1 at Los Alamitos
California has disclosed the following dead racehorses at Golden Gate Fields: 3-year-old Mapping broke down while being trained on December 3rd (trainer, Steven Miyadi). 8-year-old Suzettes Friend broke down while being trained in November – euthanized December 4th (trainer, Jerry…
Spinning the Carnage, the NYRA Way
Every once in a while (Aqueduct ’12, Saratoga and Del Mar this summer), the industry and its mouthpieces are forced to address the giant elephant in the room: their dead horses. But even when discussing hard numbers – at least…
Sky Kerridge Collapses and Dies at Mahoning; 2-Year-Old Euthanized at Belmont
In a claiming race last Wednesday at Mahoning, Sky Kerridge “stumbled badly and went to his knees at the start, stopped on the turn then was eased to the wire.” Officially, a DNF. In most cases, this would have been…
Frisky Dixie Dead at Charles Town: A “Near Disaster”?
Midway through the 4th race at Charles Town Saturday night, Winningaswespeak fell and began running the wrong way. Seconds later, the filly smashed into another horse, Frisky Dixie. The latter did not survive. With preliminary reports of at least one…
Horseracing’s Casualties, 12/8/14-12/14/14
Last week’s U.S. horseracing casualties. Reported as Dead or “Broke Down” (racing-speak for dead): Sage Valley, Dec 10, Aqueduct 8 Matter of Truth, Dec 10, Charles Town 6 Lefty Closer, Dec 10, Mahoning 7 Kays Version, Dec 12, Sunland 3…
Bird Hunter Euthanized After Being Vanned Off
More often than not, a racehorse who cannot exit the course under his own power – is vanned off – ends up euthanized back in the barn or shortly thereafter. But confirmations are hard to come by, and we’re left…
A 2-Year-Old Breaks Down; Bleeders at Aqueduct
2-year-old QuarterHorse Kays Version broke down in a stakes trial at Sunland yesterday afternoon. Replay here (Dec 12, race 3) – the filly crumples to the dirt at :30 mark. She was trained by Jaime Aldavaz and owned by Currie…
Jacobson’s Ludo Bagman Dead at Aqueduct
5-year-old Ludo Bagman is dead after breaking down (sesamoids) in the 1st yesterday at Aqueduct. In three years covering 24 races, the gelding endured five different trainers: Richard Dutrow, Rudy Rodriguez, Jeremiah Englehart, Naipaul Chatterpaul, and finally, David Jacobson. For…
Lefty Closer Dead at Mahoning, Matter of Truth at Charles Town
I have confirmed the deaths of two broken horses from yesterday: 4-year-old Lefty Closer – trained and owned by Antonio Pizzurro – in the 7th at Mahoning; 6-year-old Matter of Truth – trained by David Walters, owned by Larry Brafman…
“Cardiac Arrest” Fells Sage Valley at Aqueduct
Shortly after coming “under urging,” 5-year-old Sage Valley died from an “apparent cardiac arrest” in the 8th yesterday at Aqueduct. To remind, 5-year-old equines – the rough equivalents of human teenagers – should not be dropping dead of heart failure.…
Crazy Bear Dead at Charles Town
I have confirmed that 7-year-old Crazy Bear was euthanized after breaking down in last Thursday’s 4th at Charles Town. The Alex Correa-trained mare was being raced for the 62nd time. This is horseracing.