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On the same day (Monday) that Santa Anita resumed its killing, another of Racing’s crown jewels, Saratoga Race Course, claimed its 16th victim of 2019. (While racing at Saratoga ended Labor Day, training carries on.) Noble Spirit, says the Gaming Commission, “sustained injury while breezing…subsequently euthanized.” Noble Spirit was three and had been put to the whip five times, four of those at Saratoga.

Saratoga has now surpassed its historical (since 2009) kill-average by two – the lie of NYRA’s “demonstrably safer” racing laid bare, yet again.

Golden Julia, May 30, stall, “found distressed in stall…died from acute blood loss”
Investment Analyst, Jun 7, training, “sustained leg injury necessitating euthanasia”
Gattino Marrone, Jul 3, training, “fractured sesamoids, euthanized”
Fight Night, Jul 12, racing, “fell heavily after the wire, euthanized on track”
Total Fidelity, Jul 14, training, “suffered fracture to LF sesamoids, euthanized”
Overlord, Jul 15, stall, “colonic rupture, euthanized”
Verravanni, Jul 25, stall, “pleuropneumonia”
Misspent Youth, Jul 27, training, “cardiovascular collapse”
Umetuka, Jul 31, training, “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Divine Miss Grey, Aug 3, racing (euth Aug 26), “complications [after] surgery”
Sundae On Sunday, Aug 4, racing, “collapsed, euthanized”
Go Big Or Go Home, Aug 28, racing, “went wrong, euthanized”
Sister Beauty, Aug 31, training, “ambulanced to [hospital], inoperable, euthanized”
Borough Boy, Sep 2, racing, “took a bad step, fell heavily”
So Surprising, Sep 7, training, “fractured sesamoids, euthanized”
Noble Spirit, Sep 16, training, “sustained RF injury…subsequently euthanized”

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They’re back training at Santa Anita – and the killing continues. Monday morning, the LA Times reports, Zeke broke – pelvic fracture – “while working on the training track” and was eventually euthanized. I say eventually because Zeke was not put down till 11:00 that night, which raises the question: Was Zeke’s suffering extended because Santa Anita (The Stronach Group, California Racing) is desperately trying to avoid the harsh coverage of yet another dead horse? Seems a reasonable query to me. Zeke was four and had been put to the whip 14 times, most recently at Del Mar last month.

Speaking of Del Mar, while all the talk from the industry was the “unprecedented” safe racing there this summer – completely ignoring, that is, the six horses who did lose their lives either training or back in the stalls – this horse, Zeke, was raced twice at Del Mar in August. As many of these breakdowns show preexisting injury or compromise at the breakdown site – which speaks to the constant grinding racehorses are forced to endure – is it possible Zeke was “pre-injured” racing at Del Mar before breaking down at Santa Anita? You bet. And that is why I’m not at all interested in drawing “safety” comparisons among the various tracks (states), or, for that matter, the trainers (Jerry Hollendorfer and Bob Baffert are no better or worse than the average trainer). This is one big vile industry. A kill at one is a kill for all.

Santa Anita’s 36 dead racehorses thus far this year:

Tank Team, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 4, 2019
Unusual Angel, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 4, 2019
Secret Street, killed training at Santa Anita Jan 8, 2019
Derby Treasure, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 11, 2019
Henry, dead at Santa Anita January 14, 2019
Noise Mandate, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 18, 2019
Amboseli, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 20, 2019
Like Really Smart, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 21, 2019
Last Promise Kept, killed racing at Santa Anita Jan 21, 2019
Ponchito, dead at Santa Anita January 22, 2019
Dancing Harbor, killed training at Santa Anita Jan 23, 2019
Spitfire, killed training at Santa Anita Jan 25, 2019
Mongolian Hunter, dead at Santa Anita January 28, 2019
Kid Cantina, killed racing at Santa Anita Feb 2, 2019
Comegowithme, killed racing at Santa Anita Feb 3, 2019
Jager Time, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 17, 2019
Unusual Rider, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 18, 2019
Hot American, killed racing at Santa Anita Feb 22, 2019
Battle of Midway, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 23, 2019
Just Forget It, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 23, 2019
Charmer John, killed training at Santa Anita Feb 24, 2019
Eskenforadrink, killed racing at Santa Anita Mar 2, 2019
Cooney, dead at Santa Anita March 4, 2019
Lets Light the Way, killed training at Santa Anita Mar 5, 2019
Princess Lili B, killed training at Santa Anita Mar 14, 2019
Arms Runner, killed racing at Santa Anita Mar 31, 2019
Rolling Shadow, dead at Santa Anita April 4, 2019
Commander Coil, killed training at Santa Anita May 17, 2019
Spectacular Music, killed racing at Santa Anita May 19, 2019
Kochees, killed racing at Santa Anita May 25, 2019
Current Times, dead at Santa Anita May 27, 2019
Derby River, killed training at Santa Anita June 5, 2019
Formal Dude, killed racing at Santa Anita June 8, 2019
Truffalino, killed racing at Santa Anita June 9, 2019
American Currency, killed training at Santa Anita June 22, 2019
Zeke, killed training at Santa Anita September 16, 2019

The legs of Boom Boom Bango, who was killed at Santa Anita in March 2018

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4-year-old Rhode Island’s run in the 5th at Belmont Saturday, according to the Gaming Commission: “was placed in a protective hold at 1/2 mile…pulled up near the 7/16 pole; was vanned off in the best interest of the horse [so caring, these racing folks are] and was subsequently euthanized.”

Belmont Park, one of Racing’s crown jewels, has notched five kills in the first nine days of its Fall Meet – five in nine days. So you see, it wasn’t Santa Anita after all.

Belmont’s 2019 carnage – 27 dead, and counting:

Doyouknowsomething, Jan 8, stall – “sustained left elbow injury in stall”
Speke, Jan 19, training – “suffered a fracture to his right shoulder”
Catpsalm, Jan 29, stall – “protozoal myeloencephalitis”
Miss Marion, Feb 3, training – “fractured cannon bone…euthanized on track”
Chronos, Feb 3, training (euthanized Feb 4) – “fractured right front leg”
For Pops, Feb 26, training – “collapsed and died” (four years old)
Queen Bode, Mar 3, training – “euthanized at hospital”
Mighty Zealous, Mar 10, stall – “severe respiratory distress…euthanized”
Miss Marilyn, Mar 23, training – “leg injury…euthanasia on the track”
Miss Mimosa, Mar 28, training – “cardiovascular collapse” (three years old)
Pretty Enuff, Apr 1, training – “suffered a leg fracture…euthanized”
Luz Mimi, Apr 4, training – “suffered a leg fracture…euthanized”
La Manche, Apr 11, training – “suffered a fracture…and was euthanized”
Noble Cause, May 11, racing – “injuries necessitating euthanasia”
Anne’s Song, May 24, racing – “ambulanced off, euthanized due to poor prognosis”
Successful Mission, Jun 9, training – “sustained fractures while breezing”
Inflection, Jun 9, racing – “euthanized due to poor prognosis”
Ro Bear, Jun 16, stall – “died in the barn from an apparent impaction colic”
With Caution, Jun 28, training – “P1 fracture…died complications from anesthesia”
Fancy Persuasion, Jun 30, racing – “cardiovascular collapse” (two years old)
yet-to-be-named, Jul 11, training – “fractured sesamoids…euthanized”
La Fuerza, Jul 27, training – “fractured humeral, ambulanced to barn, euthanized”
Royal Inheritance, Sep 6, training – “collapsed and died” (five years old)
Passporttovictory, Sep 6, racing – “bad steps”
Mo Moxie, Sep 7, training – “sustained a fracture and was euthanized on track”
Deft, Sep 12, racing – “broke front leg and was euthanized on the track”
Rhode Island, Sep 14, racing – “was vanned off…subsequently euthanized”

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I have made inquiries into getting information on Canadian racetracks. In the meantime, this comes from the charts (Equibase) at Woodbine this past Sunday: 3-year-old Notice Me “vanned off” (after falling) in the 1st; 2-year-old Final Rhapsody “in distress, vanned off” in the 7th. Both, I have confirmed, were euthanized.

End horseracing. Now.