Let’s start with what we know for sure from yesterday. Because of NY’s (anomalous) public database, we have same-day confirmations on two – yes, two – kills at Aqueduct. In the 3rd, Stay Fond “suffered an injury, was placed to a protective hold, pulled up, vanned off,” and subsequently euthanized. She was six. Trainer, Oscar Barrera III; owner, Three Player’s Stable. In the 6th, Tied Up “returned in distress [and] subsequently collapsed fatally.” She was but five – not done growing yet. Trainer, Jeffrey Englehart; owner, Moshe Mark. For the ever-proud-of-its-“safety record” New York Racing Association, this makes 78 dead racehorses in 2020. 78.

But, of course, there was more. This also happened yesterday (I will, you can be sure, update as information arrives):

Night Candy “vanned off” at Churchill
Kaziranga “pulled up in distress, vanned off” at Churchill
Magnolia’s Hope “vanned off” at Del Mar
Velvet Queen “vanned off” at Del Mar
Durango Kid “vanned off” at Hawthorne
Twirling the Gold “vanned off” at Los Alamitos
More Monique “bled, vanned off” at Mahoning
Little Miss Julia “vanned off” at Penn
Aamaal “vanned off” at Penn
Valentine Divine “bled” at Remington

All in a single day. This, America, is your “Sport of Kings.”

This for Sky of Hook in the 6th at Aqueduct Sunday, as relayed by the Gaming Commission: “horse was vanned off after the wire, ambulanced to barn, where vet exam revealed injuries necessitating euthanasia.” Sky of Hook was three; ’twas his 7th time under the whip. He is the 89th dead racehorse in New York State this year.

Astonishingly, the “demonstrably safer” New York Racing Association keeps killing horses. In the 1st today at Aqueduct, Mr. Tag, three, was “vanned off” and subsequently euthanized. (The Gaming Commission appended this consolation: “no apparent injury to rider.”) In this, a covid-impacted year, an unconscionable 75 racehorses have died at the three NYRA tracks (Aqueduct, Belmont, Saratoga). 75. America, you’ve been had. “The Sport of Kings” is nothing more than garden-variety animal cruelty – and mass animal murder.

The California Horse Racing Board has disclosed the death of an “unnamed filly” at Santa Anita Wednesday – cause, colic. For those who’d like to absolve the racing industry of these types of deaths, this.

The Equibase note for Moochie in the 6th this afternoon at Laurel: “MOOCHIE vied
towards the rail, gained a short lead leaving the far turn, raced in the two path battling between horses past the five sixteenths, lost her rider after sustaining
an injury near the quarter pole and was euthanized on the track.” And just like that another young (two) life snuffed. This is horseracing.