As has been repeated ad nauseam here, racing is loath to give up its dead. But it’s not just the tracks and state commissions: As a rule, for beat publications and mainstream media alike, the only newsworthy deaths are those…
Running in his very first race – a QuarterHorse trial at Ruidoso Downs yesterday afternoon – 2-year-old child Finns Huckleberry broke down. The complicit: jockey Tanner Thedford, trainer C. Dwayne Gilbreath, and owner/breeder Robert Roark.
Either from self-delusion or as a base marketing ploy, racing people speak almost exclusively in sport vernacular. Accordingly, to them, each racehorse actually represents a larger “team,” complete with owner, coach, assistants, team doc, and, of course, the athletes themselves…
The California Horse Racing Board has confirmed that 5-year-old Mel’s Game, reported as vanned off after the proverbial “bad step” last Thursday at Santa Anita (1st race), did in fact die from his injury. The gelding was running – via…
I have confirmed that 6-year-old career claimer Commandeer is dead after breaking down in yesterday’s 2nd race at Belterra. In his penultimate start on May 30th (at Belterra), Commandeer finished last of eight; two starts before that, on May 9th…
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…
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…
