In the 9th at Oaklawn yesterday, Saltwater Gypsy, said the chartwriter, “fell after the wire and was vanned off.” In fact, I have confirmed, she is dead, and according to my source, she died right there on the track. Saltwater was two years old.

Bank On Shea, the Gaming Commission reports (belatedly again), was euthanized at Belmont March 16 – “illness.” Bank was three days shy of turning six. He was in training at Belmont, but hadn’t been raced since last July at Saratoga. He becomes the 1,760th kill at a NYS racetrack since 2009.

5-year-old Manuka Bobby in the 5th at Mahoning just a bit ago: “broke in front, matched strides for the early lead, suffered a catastrophic injury before the half-mile pole and was euthanized.” Killing beautiful animals every day – this is horseracing.

The self-styled “safest track in North America” has struck again. Beverly Vista is dead after breaking down at Santa Anita Saturday. Although Beverly was “vanned off” for what we now know was a fatal injury, the chartwriter had added, hopefully (for lower kill numbers, of course), that he “walked into the van.” Beverly was two, and this was his very first race. For safe Santa Anita, this is dead horse #8 – already.