Saturday at the races: 6-year-old Vagabond Shoes, running in a $200,000 Grade 2 at Santa Anita, broke down and was killed. Vagabond Shoes (below): jockey, Victor Espinoza; trainer, John Sadler; owner, Hronis Racing. 4-year-old Garden Tavern, running for $11,000 in…
3-year-old Finesse collapsed and died of an apparent “cardiac issue” Friday afternoon after finishing second in a race at Oaklawn. Finesse was ridden by Ricardo Santana and trained by Steve Asmussen (below) – yes, that Ricardo Santana and Steve Asmussen.
Updates on Uncle Betty and Cooper River: Through a call to the state vet’s office, Joy Aten (“Shedrow Secrets”) confirmed that Uncle Betty was indeed killed after breaking down March 13th at Charles Town. The 2-year-old filly was ridden by…
For four months last year, PETA had an undercover investigator working for highly successful trainer Steve Asmussen – at Churchill Downs and Saratoga Race Course, no less. What follows are some of the investigation’s highlights: Trainer Scott Blasi, Asmussen’s top…
Last Friday, a nondescript horse named Cooper River ran a $5,000 claiming race at Laurel Park. (In fact, he was claimed.) The chart had the 6-year-old “very rank leaving the starting gate,” showing “poor action,” unseating his rider, and falling.…
While this page holds that all horseracing is wrong, there is perhaps no more vile form than the steeplechase (“jumps”), the kind of animal competition that comes with an expectation of bodies falling, breaking, and dying. And so it was…
Three more equine youths died Saturday: 4-year-old Concept – who last raced August 2012, finishing last, 14 1/4 lengths back – fractured her left humerus training under Matthew Peebles at Aqueduct. 3-year-old Fardan, trained by Howard Zucker and ridden by…
The following racehorses were casualties on American tracks last week: Monday Ko Ko Fleur, Mountaineer, race 5, bled, vanned off Tawdry, Mountaineer, race 8, confirmed dead La Tonga, Turf, race 4, vanned off Tuesday Passport Denied, Mountaineer, race 9, vanned…
Yesterday, 7-year-old Jeremiah Englehart-trained Itsagoodtendollars “died from an apparent cardiovascular collapse while breezing on the Belmont training track.” This is Englehart’s 14th NY death since 2009. Also on Saturday, 2-year-old (actual age, not industry age) Onlyforyou (below) died at a…
The California Horse Racing Board is investigating the death of 5-year-old Standardbred Nutmegs Davey less than 24 hours after he won last Saturday’s 3rd race at Cal Expo. What’s more, owner Ormin Carrera and trainer Dario Solares are, at least…
According to a source at the track, 6-year-old Tawdry is dead after fracturing a pair of sesamoids in Monday’s 8th race at Mountaineer. This, but another example of racing trying mightily to conceal its odious underside – the chart merely…
Horses, the apologists say, are born to run, love to run; the modern Thoroughbred is the most exquisite of athletes, sleek and powerful, with, most importantly, an instinctive will to compete. Ignore, they continue, the diminutive humans perched atop, for…
