Dashing Nic, two, was killed after finishing 8th in last evening’s 5th race (his fourth career start) at Evangeline Downs. The gelding was ridden by David Alvarez, trained by Robert Touchet, and owned by Clark Wayne Stout. Later in the…
This site is occasionally rebuked – by the racers, of course – for almost exclusively focusing on “bad news.” To which, I ask, have they read our “about” statement? In any event, I am not at all interested in hearing…
Two Thoroughbreds broke down Thursday: 7-year-old Hammurabi in a claiming race at Golden Gate Fields and 4-year-old Cat Tail Cutie in a claiming race at Remington Park. Earlier in the week, at Monticello Raceway, Standardbred John Henry broke a leg…
Racing’s biggest problem, according to the racers themselves, is the perception of a pervasive drug culture. They fret on this for good reason: The New York Times says (10/31/13), “Nearly four in five bettors — 79 percent — factored in…
I confess to not being interested in the perils of jockeyhood. It’s not that I don’t care about injured riders, just that what they do is entirely voluntary. Jockeys choose to risk life and limb for a paycheck; the horse,…
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…
