Recent notes from the stewards at Keeneland. While reading, bear in mind that Keeneland is a top-5 track; imagine what goes on at the cheap ones.

Apr 15:
“The claim of Frolic More was voided when horse bled and was placed on Vet’s List.”

“Bedtime for Buffy was scratched on advice of Commission vet.”

Apr 16:
“Soros finished last and required assistance of vets. It was later reported that the horse had [suffered] a post-race heatstroke.”

“Violenza finished ninth and bled.”

“Shantisara returned lame and required the horse ambulance.”

Apr 20:
“Magic Tap was a late scratch on advice of Commission vet.” (was to be his first race)

“The claim of Beep Beep was voided when horse was placed on Vet’s List.”

“Invader finished last – returned lame and required the horse ambulance.”

Apr 23:
“Charge the Line was injured in the starting gate and was scratched.”

“Oaxaca suffered a heatstroke and required the horse ambulance.”

“Two Emmys suffered a post-race heatstroke and required vet.”

Apr 24:
“The claim of Fire On Time was voided when the horse was placed on Vet’s List.”

Apr 27:
“Izzy Em fell behind the starting gate and was scratched.”

Apr 28:
“Red Ghost was injured in the paddock and was scratched.”

Apr 29:
“The claim of American Tattoo was voided when horse was placed on Vet’s List.”

“The claim of Mejthaam was voided when horse bled and was placed on Vet’s List.”

“The claim of Sleepless Dream was voided when horse was placed on Vet’s List.”

I have twice before reported on the almost-unimaginable suffering endured by the racehorse Fox Rox – here, and here. Yesterday at Presque Isle, Fox’s abusers, Mark Hoffman and Dennis Ward, fully intended to send the soon-to-be-11-year-old out for the 117th time (and it was a “claiming race,” meaning they were to have him up “For Sale”). In the end, unsurprisingly, he was a vet scratch. I will, of course, keep watching.

Some notes from three tracks Saturday. Most of these were “trials” for two-year-olds. (A note on the “bumps”: There were plenty of the run-of-the-mill variety; I am only relaying the more egregious.)

At Laurel Brown (Utah), Cbf Cash Man “fell at start”; Rays Lane also “fell at start.”

At Remington (Oklahoma), Whiskey River was “hard to load”; Stylenattitude “wiped out midway”; Mighty Furrgee was “rowdy in gate”; De Cap Gun suffered a “hard bump at break”; Eye Capo “flipped at break”; Sheza Prize Wagon was “hard to load”; Nita Kiss “went to knees at break”; Valiants Wild Card “threw a tantrum in gate.”

At Sam Houston (Texas), Bh Counting On Snow was “unruly in gate”; Jess Roll Me Over was also “unruly in gate”; Haulin Roses was “unruly in post parade”; Burning Dust was “bumped hard”; Miranda Simply was also “bumped hard.”

Terrifying babies – this is horseracing.

More steeplechase madness, from the Stewards’ Reports:

At the “Middleburg Spring Races” in Virginia April 23, Love of the Bay “fell at the 13th fence” in race 3; Elusive Soul “fell after hitting the top of the fence” in race 6; Pincer Movement “pulled up lame before the last fence” in race 8.

At the “Foxfield Races” in Virginia April 30, Eve’s City “twisted badly over the top of the fence” in race 2; Pony Up “fell over the fifth fence” in race 3; Mighty Mark “was pulled up lame after the fifth fence and vanned off” in race 5. With this last one, the stewards note, trainer Katherine Neilson “was officially reprimanded for her hesitant reaction to directions of the Course Vet…to load Mighty Mark onto the ambulance.”