From recently released Steward’s Reports out of Turf Paradise:

Nov 3, race 4 – Dw Carolina Flash “pulled up, lame left front, exam found fractured sesamoid bone, euthanized.”

Nov 10, race 4 – Eva’s Classy Baby “pulled up, lame right front, radiographs show carpus fracture, euthanized.”

Both were three years old. This is horseracing.

To anyone with a working knowledge of horseracing, the following comes as no surprise: Princess Dorian, the mare who “took a bad step” and sustained multiple fractures in the 2nd race at Del Mar last Sunday, is dead – euthanized today, says the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, after developing laminitis in both hind legs.

Here is my opinion, one shared, I’m sure, by the vast majority of the aforementioned in-the-know: This poor animal’s suffering was unnecessarily extended for public relations reasons. In other words, had this not been Del Mar, had not two other horses been killed in subsequent races that day, had this not come eight days after Mongolian Groom’s breakdown-heard-round-the-world in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Princess Dorian would have been rightly euthanized that very day.

So – just a few hours after I reported yesterday’s training kill, the list must be updated again. You’ll note that Princess Dorian is recorded here as a racing kill; according to a U-T article, however, “Princess Dorian’s death would not be counted [by the CHRB] as an official ‘racing’ fatality because she was ultimately euthanized because of post-surgery complications.” And that, folks, is Racing’s version of alternative facts.

The Del Mar 2019 Dead:

Charge a Bunch, killed training Jul 18
Carson Valley, killed training Jul 18
Bowl of Soul, killed training Jul 29
unidentified, died in stall Jul 31-Aug 4
unidentified, died in stall Aug 5-Aug 11
Bri Bri, killed training Aug 12
Princess Dorian, killed racing Nov 10 (euth Nov 18)
Ghost Street, killed racing Nov 10
Prayer Warrior, killed racing Nov 10
Slewgoodtobetrue, killed training Nov 17

Desperation – in plates and screws…

Sunday morning, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports, Slewgoodtobetrue “collapsed and died…after a workout” at Del Mar. She was three years old – “collapsed and died.” She is the ninth dead horse “where the turf meets the surf” this year:

Charge a Bunch, killed training Jul 18
Carson Valley, killed training Jul 18
Bowl of Soul, killed training Jul 29
unidentified, died in stall Jul 31-Aug 4
unidentified, died in stall Aug 5-Aug 11
Bri Bri, killed training Aug 12
Ghost Street, killed racing Nov 10
Prayer Warrior, killed racing Nov 10
Slewgoodtobetrue, killed training Nov 17

Top Hat Darlin in the 5th at Charles Town last night: “chased the pace inside, showed no response leaving the turn, collapsed post race and was euthanized on the track” (Equibase). Dead. Top Hat Darlin was three; ’twas her third time under the whip.

In the race replay (here – hit “Replays,” 15th, race 5, pick up around 3:20 mark), the van carrying the dead Top Hat Darlin off the track can be seen passing by as the “winner” readies for the photo op. You can’t make this stuff up.

Doc’s Rocket in the 6th at Delta last night, as relayed by Equibase: “forced the early pace outside, stopped entering the turn in distress was pulled up and euthanized.”

“…stopped entering the turn in distress was pulled up and euthanized.”

Just another cheap – she was “For Sale” at a pittance ($4,000) prior to dying – throwaway, an ever-so-easily-replaced cog in the grinder. It is vile. It is disgusting. It is morally indefensible. It is horseracing.

Doc’s Rocket “pulling up,” mortally injured – and yet, “congratulations” to the “winner”