In the 8th at Los Alamitos Sunday, Da One Two Special was said (Equibase) to have been “injured [and] vanned off.” In fact, I have confirmed, he is dead – euthanized, says the California Horse Racing Board, after falling. Da One Two Special was six years old. He becomes the 13th dead horse at Los Alamitos on the year.

This is horseracing.

According to the Equibase writer, there was nothing wrong with Warrens Vengeance (aside from finishing last, some 48 lengths back, that is) after the 3rd at Finger Lakes yesterday: “vied for the lead…gave way.” In fact, says the Gaming Commission, the 3-year-old filly was “vanned off” with a broken leg and subsequently euthanized. She is the 12th dead racehorse at Finger Lakes this year (since Mar 26, actually):

Bonafide Bandit, Mar 26, stall – “cast in stall”
Owen’s Express, Apr 2, training – “fractured right shoulder”
Facade, May 11, stall – “colic”
Ransom Note, Jul 10, racing – “fractured 3rd carpel”
D Emcee, Jul 12, training – “fractured sesamoid”
She’sakittykat, Jul 12, stall – “laminitis”
Fabulous Prince, Jul 15, racing – “flipped in the gate, skull fracture”
Avon Gold, Aug 3, training – “suffered a fracture to the pastern”
Frosty Millions, Aug 13, racing – “unresolved injuries”
It’s Flashy, Aug 17, training – “expired after breezing”
Take Charge Jamie, Aug 24, training – “sustained injury to leg”
Warrens Vengeance, Sep 3, racing – “fracture[d] limb necessitating euthanasia”

Video of the kill (Borough Boy) at Saratoga yesterday. Please continue watching till the end, when it’s all smiles in the Winner’s Circle even as another horse lay dying. Vile.

One helluva way to go out. In the final race of the Saratoga meet, this for Borough Boy: “hustled from the gate, showed the way three to four wide under light coaxing, swung four wide into upper stretch displaced from command, dug in under a drive and took a bad step near the eighth pole, fell heavily and unfortunately had to be euthanized on track” (Equibase).

took a bad step

fell heavily

unfortunately had to be euthanized

Borough Boy is the 13th dead horse at Saratoga ’19 – which puts this venerable track at right about its historical average. So much for NYRA’s “demonstrably safer racing.”

The victim roll…

Golden Julia, May 30, stall, “found distressed in stall…died from acute blood loss”
Golden Julia was two years old and coming off a training session just five days prior.

Investment Analyst, Jun 7, training, “sustained leg injury necessitating euthanasia”
Investment Analyst was two years old; he was being prepped for his first race.

Gattino Marrone, Jul 3, training, “fractured sesamoids, euthanized”
Gattino Marrone was three years old and had been put to the whip 6 times.

Fight Night, Jul 12, racing, “fell heavily after the wire, euthanized on track”
Fight Night was three years old, and this was her 5th time under the whip.

Total Fidelity, Jul 14, training, “suffered fracture to LF sesamoids, euthanized”
Total Fidelity was two years old; she was being prepped for her first race.

Overlord, Jul 15, stall, “colonic rupture, euthanized”
Overlord was three years old and coming off a training session just one week prior.

Verravanni, Jul 25, stall, “pleuropneumonia”
Verravanni was two years old and coming off a training session just eight days prior.

Misspent Youth, Jul 27, training, “cardiovascular collapse”
Misspent Youth was five years old and had been put to the whip 13 times.

Umetuka, Jul 31, training, “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Umetuka was four years old and had been put to the whip 9 times.

Divine Miss Grey, Aug 3, racing (euth Aug 26), “complications [after] surgery”
Divine Miss Grey was five years old, and this was her 26th time under the whip.

Sundae On Sunday, Aug 4, racing, “collapsed, euthanized”
Sundae On Sunday was ten years old, and this was his 61st time under the whip.

Go Big Or Go Home, Aug 28, racing, “went wrong, euthanized”
Go Big Or Go Home was five, and this was his 22nd time under the whip.

Borough Boy, Sep 2, racing, “took a bad step, fell heavily”
Borough Boy was three years old, and this was his 6th time under the whip.

In the 8th at Saratoga yesterday, Go Big Or Go Home, says Equibase, “went wrong”; “went wrong,” as regular readers know, is one of this industry’s go-to euphemisms for dead and that, in fact, is the case here, as the Gaming Commission subsequently confirmed. Go Big Or Go Home was five, and this was his 22nd time under the whip.

Also: Divine Miss Grey, whom you may remember was “vanned off” after “taking bad steps” in a race at Saratoga earlier this month, has been euthanized – “complications from fetlock surgery.” Two things. One, her suffering was almost surely unnecessarily extended: A fetlock injury serious enough to necessitate surgery would have almost without fail, and rightly so, led to immediate euthanasia for the vast majority of horses. But Divine Miss Grey was an expensive horse – this was her 13th “stakes” race in a row – with a valuable future in the breeding shed; hence, the attempt to save. Two, the Gaming Commission is trying to file this under “non-racing,” which would be risible if not for the deadly gravity of it all. Of course, this is a racing kill.

Saratoga ’19:

Golden Julia, May 30, stall, “found distressed in stall…died from acute blood loss”
Golden Julia was two years old and coming off a training session just five days prior.

Investment Analyst, Jun 7, training, “sustained leg injury necessitating euthanasia”
Investment Analyst was two years old; he was being prepped for his first race.

Gattino Marrone, Jul 3, training, “fractured sesamoids, euthanized”
Gattino Marrone was three years old and had been put to the whip 6 times.

Fight Night, Jul 12, racing, “fell heavily after the wire, euthanized on track”
Fight Night was three years old, and this was her 5th time under the whip.

Total Fidelity, Jul 14, training, “suffered fracture to LF sesamoids, euthanized”
Total Fidelity was two years old; she was being prepped for her first race.

Overlord, Jul 15, stall, “colonic rupture, euthanized”
Overlord was three years old and coming off a training session just one week prior.

Verravanni, Jul 25, stall, “pleuropneumonia”
Verravanni was two years old and coming off a training session just eight days prior.

Misspent Youth, Jul 27, training, “cardiovascular collapse”
Misspent Youth was five years old and had been put to the whip 13 times.

Umetuka, Jul 31, training, “injured, vanned off, euthanized”
Umetuka was four years old and had been put to the whip 9 times.

Divine Miss Grey, Aug 3, racing (euth Aug 26) – “complications [after] surgery”
Divine Miss Grey was five years old, and this was her 26th time under the whip.

Sundae On Sunday, Aug 4, racing, “collapsed, euthanized”
Sundae On Sunday was ten years old, and this was his 61st time under the whip.

Go Big Or Go Home, Aug 28, racing, “went wrong, euthanized”
Go Big Or Go Home was five, and this was his 22nd time under the whip.