The NYS Gaming Commission reports that Obsidian Flow was killed (multiple fractures) while training at Saratoga Monday. He was two years old and being prepped for his debut. The day before at Belmont, Ready to Escape was euthanized for colic. He was five and was last put to the whip August 20 at Saratoga.

To date, 53 horses have died at NY tracks this year. Since Jan 1, 2018, 173 of these beautiful, sensitive, intelligent beings have been sacrificed at the three NYRA tracks (Aqueduct, Belmont, Saratoga). Reform is a lie. End horseracing. Now.

The 4th at Louisiana Downs yesterday: All About Clara “fell mid turn and was euthanized” (Equibase). She was four years old; ’twas her 25th time under the whip.

Plum Dandy, six, died at Del Mar yesterday of what the CHRB is calling an “accident.” He had been put to the whip 22 times, most recently August 16 at that same track. There are those (apologists, the exploiters themselves) who would dismiss these deaths as “flukes,” “acts of God,” “beyond their control.” In truth, however, there is not one scintilla of difference – morally speaking, that is – between racehorses who die back in their stalls/the barn and those who snap legs out on the track. Casualties of racing, all. (Plum Dandy is the 78th such casualty in California this year.)

From the California Horse Racing Board: Dead, training at Golden Gate today, 2-year-old Streets. He is the 20th kill at Golden Gate this year, 77th at all California tracks.

Keep the pressure on:
Governor Newsom
Senator Feinstein
Senator Harris
Assembly Speaker Rendon
Majority Leader Hertzberg
California State Senators

If you haven’t already signed (over 115,000 and counting)…
change.org petition to end horseracing in California

Sweetwater Downs is a nondescript, lightly-raced Quarterhorse track in Wyoming, a place, surely, that the vast majority of Americans have never even heard of. And the chart notes reflect that, offering just a few words per horse – the bare minimum. So it is no surprise that in my daily review of those notes, there was little or no indication that something bad had happened last Sunday. But something did – thrice over.

Sweetwater Now, a local paper, reports that three – yes three – horses were killed at Sweetwater August 23: “After the finish line [of the 4th race], the horses were going into the turn when the No. 9 horse bolted to the outside and … hit the No. 10 horse forcing both them and the jockey into the rail.” (The newspaper couldn’t be bothered with identifying the horses by name; hence, the numbers.) “No. 10,” or Vvr Barn Find, suffered a dislocated shoulder and was euthanized. He was two.

Next race: “The No. 3 horse was halfway down the track and appeared to want to buck the rider off. The jockey bailed off of the horse as it [it, not he] ran around the outside turn and collapsed. During that same race, the No. 1 horse face planted at the finish line….” “Broken backs,” both. Dead. “No. 3” was El Divo Moves. He, too, was two years old. “No. 1” was Skinny Love, and yes, she also was just two years old.

Said Eugene Joyce, Sweetwater GM: “I can’t tell you how gut wrenching yesterday was. It’s just devastating to go through something like this.”

“Devastating, gut wrenching,” Mr. Joyce? Imagine how those poor babies felt, what with their broken backs and dislocated shoulders and all. And all so that you and your comrades could make a buck. Vile.