Yet another of Burton Sipp’s abused slaves, Captain D, was put to the whip Monday at Mountaineer: dead-last, 33+ lengths back. Sipp, of course, laughed all the way to the bank, as Mountaineer, being a taxpayer-subsidized operation, paid him anyway.

In light of the above, and everything else written on this hellhole of a track, I thought it might be instructive to share this email I received from a reader who made calls to West Virginia, specifically to Joe Moore, the Racing Commission’s executive director.

Hello Patrick. I phoned Joe Moore regarding Mutashabeh and Salt On the Rim. His response in regard to Sipp’s suspension was that his permit in WV is in order and any suspension elsewhere has no bearing at Mountaineer.

I addressed the egregious brutality in continuing to race Mutashabeh, who obviously can no longer race. He answered that if a horse passes the veterinary pre-race exam, he can legally enter the race. I told him that Mutashabeh cannot be in good health and could not pass other than a cursory exam, if that.

I informed Moore that I have rescued numerous OTTBs for many years. I stated that he is literally running for his life, akin to being enslaved, and that a pre-race exam cannot reveal a horse’s true health. I also addressed Salt’s advanced age. He responded that her age was irrelevant as she had placed second in a previous race. Regardless, he said he could do nothing.

And there it is.