Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have obtained the following information regarding racehorses killed at California tracks in 2019. Due to the volume, I will be posting incrementally.

Henry, Jan 14, Santa Anita S – “horse had a volvulus of the colon, which produced a rupture of the organ with spill of colonic content into the abdominal cavity”

Ponchito, Jan 22, Santa Anita S – “gastrosplenic ligament perforation with entrapment and severe hemorrhages of small intestine”

Mongolian Hunter, Jan 28, Santa Anita S – “two-day colic”

unidentified 4-year-old, Feb 21, Los Alamitos T – “displaced, comminuted fracture; severe ligament rupture”

Cooney, Feb 22, Santa Anita R (euthanized Mar 3) – “acute laminitis both hind legs” (three years old)

Yes I’m Ready, Mar 17, Los Alamitos R – “[multiple] ruptures; MCIII bone completely perforated the skin; complete exposure of the distal third of cannon bone”

Rolling Shadow, Apr 4, Santa Anita S – “catastrophic skull fracture, massive hemorrhage – with blood coming out of both nostrils and right ear”

Thorny, Apr 6, Los Alamitos R – “catastrophic lumbar fracture, severe spinal cord compression”

unidentified 3-year-old, Apr 22, San Luis Rey T – “comminuted fracture, [multiple] ruptures”

unidentified 2-year-old, Apr 24, Los Alamitos T – “severe, multiple lacerations; hemorrhage”

Bos Dream, Apr 26, Los Alamitos R – “[multiple] fractures, extensive cartilage loss”

unidentified 3-year-old, May, Los Alamitos T (euthanized May 7) – “sesamoid fracture”

Hailey Rachele, May 17, Los Alamitos T – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”

Commander Coil, May 17, Santa Anita T – “comminuted humeral fracture, massive hemorrhage”

Spectacular Music, May 19, Santa Anita R (euthanized May 20) – “catastrophic pelvic fracture, fractured vertebrae”; “a large number of adult worms [found in] cecum”

Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have obtained the following information regarding racehorses killed at California tracks in 2019. Due to the volume, I will be posting incrementally.

unidentified 3-year-old, Oct 5, Golden Gate S – “severe pleuropneumonia”

unidentified 2-year-old, Oct 20, Golden Gate T – “sesamoids displaced and fractured, [multiple] ruptures”; “up to 90% of racehorses [have] gastric ulcers; factors that increase the likelihood of ulcers: stall confinement, stress, NSAIDs”

Wilhelmina’s Girl, Nov 1, Golden Gate R – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”

Dramatic Ride, Nov 2, Golden Gate R – “catastrophic skull fracture, severe intracranial hemorrhage”; “severe ulcerations [in] stomach”

unidentified 4-year-old, Nov 7, Golden Gate T – “looked ataxic, fell over, died”

unidentified 2-year-old, Nov 20, Golden Gate T – “went over fence – massive [abdominal] hemorrhage, splenic tear”

Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have obtained the following information regarding racehorses killed at California tracks in 2019. Due to the volume, I will be posting incrementally.

Strengthinnumbers, Mar 24, Golden Gate R – “[multiple] fractures”; “multiple large ulcerations within stomach”

unidentified 10-year-old, Apr 23, Golden Gate T – “fractures, rupture, avulsion”

unidentified 4-year-old, Apr 28, Golden Gate T – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”

Alive and Well, Jun 2, Golden Gate R – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”

unidentified 7-year-old, Jun 15, Golden Gate T – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”

No New Friends, Jun 30, Pleasanton R – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”

Sandra Smiles, Jul 7, Pleasanton T – “sudden death” (two years old)

unidentified 4-year-old, Jul 11, Golden Gate S – “trailer accident; suspect septicemia”

Bowl of Soul, Jul 29, Del Mar T – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”

Black Site, Aug 1, Santa Rosa R – “catastrophic scapular fracture, severe hemorrhage”

unidentified 3-year-old, Aug 2, Golden Gate T – “rupture, [multiple] fractures”

unidentified 6-year-old, Aug 6, Santa Rosa T – “ran into pole – neck and skull fractures; severe spinal hemorrhage”; “gastric ulcers were chronic and extensive”

Bronco Brown, Aug 18, Ferndale R – “went over the rail – [broke both front legs]”

Mr. Frank, Aug 18, Golden Gate R – “collapsed just past wire and died” (three years old)

Eagle Screams, Sep 14, Golden Gate T – “horse dropped dead – artery rupture with exsanguination”

unidentified 2-year-old, Sep 27, Golden Gate S – “catastrophic skull fracture – blood coming from ears”

The wildly successful Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert recently penned an op-ed in The Washington Post calling for passage of the (obviously oxymoronic) “Horseracing Integrity Act.” In it, Baffert claims “nothing is more important than the health and safety of our equine athletes,” and says “we must act decisively to protect the horses who are the stars of the show.” With that as backdrop, I give you three 2-year-olds killed under Baffert’s care in 2018 – two from sudden death.

unidentified 2-year-old, Aug 4, Los Alamitos T
“sudden death, acute cardiorespiratory collapse”; “numerous deep ulcers in stomach”
“Regretfully, the cause of sudden death of this horse will remain undetermined.”

unidentified 2-year-old, Nov 14, Los Alamitos T
“catastrophic shoulder fracture, massive hemorrhage”; “gastric ulceration”

unidentified 2-year-old, Nov 28, Los Alamitos T
“sudden death, acute cardiorespiratory failure”
“Regretfully, the cause of sudden death in this horse will remain undetermined.”

(source: CHRB)

Through a FOIA request to the California Horse Racing Board, I have obtained the following information regarding racehorses killed at California tracks in 2019. Due to the volume, I will be posting incrementally; in the interest of ease and efficiency, here is the entire FOIA document. (While Psychedelicat’s necropsy is in the document, he does not appear below because he was killed in 2018.)

Tank Team, Jan 4, Santa Anita R – “fracture, [multiple] ruptures”
(pages 106-110)

Unusual Angel, Jan 4, Santa Anita R – “fracture, [multiple] ruptures”
(pages 111-115)

Secret Street, Jan 8, Santa Anita T – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
(pages 95-99)

Derby Treasure, Jan 11, Santa Anita R – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
(pages 32-36)

Noise Mandate, Jan 18, Santa Anita R – “fracture, [multiple] ruptures”
(pages 79-82)

Amboseli, Jan 20, Santa Anita R – “[multiple] fractures – multiple fragments missing”
(pages 1-4)

Like Really Smart, Jan 21, Santa Anita R – “fracture, [multiple] ruptures”
(pages 74-78)

Last Promise Kept, Jan 21, Santa Anita R – “fractures with multiple fragments missing”
(pages 63-66)

Dancing Harbor, Jan 23, Santa Anita T – “[multiple] fractures, rupture”
(pages 27-31)

Spitfire, Jan 25, Santa Anita T – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
(pages 100-105)

Kid Cantina, Feb 2, Santa Anita R – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
(pages 57-62)

Comegowithme, Feb 3, Santa Anita R (euthanized Feb 6) – “fracture, severe rupture”
(pages 22-26)

Jager Time, Feb 17, Santa Anita T – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
(pages 47-51)

Unusual Rider, Feb 18, Santa Anita T – “horse was wobbly, collapsed – sudden death”
(pages 116-118)

Hot American, Feb 22, Santa Anita R – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
(pages 41-46)

Battle of Midway, Feb 23, Santa Anita T – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
(pages 10-16)

Just Forget It, Feb 23, Santa Anita T – “MCIII bone completely perforated the skin”
(pages 52-56)

Charmer John, Feb 25, Santa Anita T – “fractures, complete rupture of flexor tendon”
(pages 17-21)

Eskenforadrink, Mar 2, Santa Anita R – “fracture, ligament failure”
(pages 37-40)

Lets Light the Way, Mar 5, Santa Anita T – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
(pages 67-73)

Princess Lili B, Mar 14, Santa Anita T – “bones completely perforated skin [both f legs]”
(pages 83-89)

Arms Runner, Mar 31, Santa Anita R – “MCIII completely perforated the skin”
(pages 5-9)