Abuse in racing comes in various forms, not the least of which is running a horse into the ground. Consider a gelding named Coaltown Legend, nine years old and 63 races into a career that began before Barack Obama was…
Two horses have been killed at Finger Lakes in as many days: In the 9th race yesterday afternoon, 7-year-old Elsaroarin, making start number 44, broke his right front pastern. And today, 4-year-old Western Grit, with two DNFs in the past…
4-year-old Roses for Romney was killed in the 8th race yesterday at Belmont. The complicit: jockey Irad Ortiz Jr, trainer Christophe Clement, owner/breeder Lawrence Goichman, and all priors. Here is the replay (“Race Replays,” Wednesday, Race 8). Slow-motion at around…
An exercise rider, Mourad Boudraa, is dead after his 3-year-old mount Tawney’s Wish had “a suspected fatal heart attack” yesterday at Woodbine. The filly had raced but once, May 25th at that same track, finishing dead last (of 11) some…
The California Horse Racing Board has confirmed that Cole Forty Five, reported as broke down after a “bad step” Friday at Santa Anita (8th race), was indeed killed. The 3-year-old colt fractured sesamoids in his left front while competing for…
Besides Chiffy and How Far We’ve Come, four other horses broke down this weekend and should be presumed dead: 5-year-old Lake Brilliant in Friday’s 2nd race at Prairie 3-year-old Cole Forty Five in Friday’s 8th race at Santa Anita 6-year-old…
As previously mentioned, Parx stands virtually alone in finishing death notices; most every other track stops at “broke down,” intentionally leaving the door ever so slightly ajar for, of course, marketing reasons: Why use such a final, awful, bad-for-business word…
Last week’s casualties: Monday Jazzit, Parx, race 2, vanned off Tuesday Just Safe, Mountaineer, race 7, vanned off Sunshine Nellie, Parx, race 2, vanned off My Jordy, Presque Isle, race 2, broke down Wednesday Tracey’s Smile, Delaware, race 3, vanned…
Chiffy, a 4-year-old trained by Michael Salvaggio Jr and owned (and bred) by Norris Gelman, broke down in a particularly gruesome fashion Friday night at Penn. According to an eyewitness at the track, the gelding “snapped its back leg in…
Yesterday, 4-year-old Rock and Roll Star snapped a leg while breezing at Finger Lakes and was killed. This is trainer Ralph D’Alessandro’s second (Just Mizzy) Finger Lakes death in the past month. Earlier in the week at Monticello, a Standardbred…
3-year-old Ol’ Bob was killed yesterday running in the 4th race at Louisiana Downs. In sum, Ol’ Bob ran six races, all for trainer C. Blaine Williams and owner Rio Mio Ranch. Also yesterday, 2-year-old Summer Sanctuary broke down in…
Yesterday, a 2-year-old unraced colt named Fran’s Kid snapped a leg “breezing” at Belmont and was euthanized on-track. Fortunately, the Gaming Commission reports, he was insured. Racing’s depravity never ceases to amaze. For trainer Leo O’Brien, this makes eight dead…
