Today is Kentucky Derby Day, a day in which the The Big Lie is at its most obscene. NBC and mint juleps; “The Run for the Roses,” “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” But the truth is, today is but a hollow dog and pony show. Horseracing, everyday horseracing, is cold, violent, and merciless. And here’s another hard truth: Horseracing in America is not 100 disparate companies; it is a single entity. As such, a bet at one track is a bet at all; to patronize one race is to patronize all. In other words, if you support – watch, bet on – today’s race, you make possible the following.

Some of the horses killed at U.S. tracks in 2018, in the words of the industry itself.
(R: Racing, T: Training, S: Stall)

Papa’s Missile, January 10, Penn T
“apparent heart attack – expired on track”

Jess Call Me J R, January 15, Sunland S
“found dead in stall” (two years old)

yet-to-be-named 2-year-old, January 16, Santa Anita T
“right forelimb: comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the metacarpus; innumerable small fragments of bone; two large bone fragments that stayed in place; all articular surfaces of the fetlock…were covered with innumerable small irregular bone fragments; left forelimb: there was an open – 8 cm long skin tearing of the MCIII, with protrusion of a fragment of bone – comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the MCIII; all articular surfaces of the fetlock…were covered with innumerable small irregular bone fragments” (that’s two broken legs)

Verraco, January 19, Santa Anita R
“right radius/ulna fracture, open, comminuted, complete, displaced, acute, with five major bone fragments, smaller missing fragments; avulsion of ulna from radius; bone fragment protrusion through hemorrhagic, gaping skin tear; pre-existing degenerative joint lesions; gastric ulceration chronic”

Dragon Dread, February 14, Monticello S
“found deceased in barn stall this morning”

Game Piece, February 23, Los Alamitos R
“MC3 is completely shattered into 50-100 shards and fragments; four complete fractures through the articular surface; the skin overlying the MC3 is multifocally torn with extensive subcutaneous hemorrhage and protruding shards of bone”

Move Bingham, March 2, Sunland T
“collision on racetrack with another horse” (see below)

Naevussquall, March 2, Sunland T
“collision on racetrack with another horse” (see above)

Every Intention, March 10, Meadowlands S
“severe injury to ankle, open wound into fetlock joint – euthanized in pit”

Shelby’s Ideal, March 13, Monticello S
“found dead following treatment for acute colic the day prior”

Portent, March 14, Charles Town R
“both ankles fractured [and] dislocated”

Boom Boom Bango, March 18, Santa Anita R
“open, comminuted, completed, displaced fracture, MCIII; open, comminuted displaced fracture, medial proximal sesamoid bone; avulsion fracture, lateral proximal sesamoid bone; rupture, intersesamoidean ligament; marked fraying, flexor tendons; marked fraying, suspensory apparatus; marked fraying, straight distal sesamoidean ligament; marked fraying and transection, cruciate sesamoidean ligaments; transection, collateral sesamoidean ligaments; comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the proximal phalanx; cartilage erosion – chronic [in both front limbs]” (that’s one horse, one death)

Dial Me In, March 23, Santa Anita R
“complete, comminuted fracture of the scapula through the neck and distal end of the spine; the major distal fragment is split into two major fragments by a fracture that enters the glenoid and splits the glenoid into halves; the caudal fragment is split into three major fragments longitudinally”

Ready Poncho, March 24, Hawthorne T
“collapsed dead on track…exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage”

Anchor, April 6, Belmont S
“horse was found dead in stall”

Hazel Ann I Am, April 14, Keeneland R
“[two broken legs]”

Carulli, April 20, Los Alamitos R
“open, comminuted, complete, displaced condylar fracture with rupture of the articular capsule, annular ligament and collateral fetlock ligaments; open, comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the medial proximal sesamoid bone with avulsion fracture of the tip and avulsion fracture of the axial surface; rupture of the intersesamoidean ligament; deep gastric ulcers”

Xten, April 20, Santa Anita T
“horse collided with another horse, fell; given several hours to attempt to rise, unable to; exhibited tremors post-injury; a severe, comminuted (+40 fragments) fracture of the thoracic vertebrae; extensive hemorrhages in the spinal canal, bones and adjacent skeletal muscle; due to the large numbers of fragments, it was not possible to evaluate for predisposing lesions”

Bs Cartel, April 24, Remington S
“found dead in stall – stomach rupture” (two years old)

Mr Dynasty, April 29, Turf T
“head trauma – fractured skull, brain bleed”

Top Street, May 3, Penn R
“horse dropped dead post-race”

Formal Summation, May 15, Delaware S
“terminally lame: complete cartilage erosion of both front metacarpal IIIs” (five years old)

Terry O Geri, May 18, Belmont S
“found dead in stall two days after having colic surgery”

Fast Munny, May 19, Santa Anita R
“horse was trailing field and suddenly collapsed and expired at the wire – extensive hemorrhages of the left caudal lobe, hemorrhages in multiple organs; chronic gastric erosions/ulcers”

Baby Lightweight, May 21, Finger Lakes S
“laminitis both front limbs – euthanized” (three years old, yet to be raced)

Right On the Nose, May 28, Remington R
“fell, hindquarters wouldn’t move”

Major Hit, May 29, Thistledown R
“fractured both knees during race”

Hokie Fever, May 31, Penn T
“open fracture of radius with large fracture piece found on the ground”

Tasmania, June 2, Belterra R
“fractured both sesamoids, avulsed ligaments, dislocated fetlock joint”

Waya Ed, June 2, Santa Anita R
“catastrophic fracture of the tibia; several variable size bone fragments within the two main bone fragments; severe tearing and hemorrhage of the muscles”

Cash Poor, June 3, Saratoga Harness R
“horse collapsed and died after finishing fourth”

Amada Rafaela, June 7, Santa Anita R
“horse staggered and collapsed, rapid onset of agonal breathing with white mucus membranes [and] large amount of red-tinged froth in the trachea – severe pulmonary hemorrhage; [also:] pelvic fracture, vertebral fractures”

My Erin, June 9, Belterra R
“fetlock was completely dislocated, open fractures, sesamoids and supporting ligaments completely avulsed”

Dauns First Desirio, June 10, Arapahoe R
“heatstroke”

Divine Order, June 10, Monmouth S
“severe colic, toxic, severe pain”

Tiffany Diamond, June 17, Santa Anita R
“catastrophic fetlock failure – over 40 bone fragments, extensive hemorrhage”

Mr. Euro, June 18, Delaware R
“[multiple] fractures, complete rupture of the flexor tendon, torn suspensory branches, and an open wound”

Dashing Roja, June 23, Pleasanton R
“complete rupture of the sesamoidean ligaments”

Imperial Legacy, June 30, Los Alamitos R
“[multiple] fractures; hemorrhage and fraying of suspensory ligament; rupture of intersesamoidean and palmar annular ligaments; rupture of medial collateral ligament of the fetlock; rupture of medial collateral sesamoidean ligament; gastric ulcers”

First Prize Choice, June 30, Wyoming Downs R
“collision with rail – catastrophic head injury”

Seared, July 8, Los Alamitos R
“pulled up racing, collapsed on ambulance, pulled from ambulance unable to rise: comminuted, complete, displaced fracture with compression of spinal cord”

Bookofmatches, July 14, Los Alamitos R
“comminuted, complete, displaced fracture of the L5 vertebra with extensive hemorrhages”

El Gran Noel, July 19, Penn S
“rupture of internal carotid”

Lady Jodie Perry, July 21, Ruidoso T
“severed tendons and ligament”

Bobby Abu Dhabi, July 22, Del Mar T
“[multiple] fetlock and cervical fractures”

Intrepid Humor, July 28, Arlington T
“fracture with lacerated femoral artery”

Unusual Kiddy, July 29, Los Alamitos R
“fell leaving gate, paralyzed: comminuted fracture of the spine with extensive hemorrhages in the adjacent musculature and connective tissue”

Irish Spring, August 4, Del Mar R
“fell…dead upon arrival: complete, comminuted, displaced fracture of C3 with complete transection of the spinal cord and extensive hemorrhages”

Giant Breeze, August 5, Arlington R
“after racing the horse became recumbent…they got the horse up…it went down and never got up again…severe heat stroke…euthanized”

Get Mad Gracie, August 11, Fairmount R
“fractured ankle – shattered”

Magic Mangus, August 17, Monmouth R (euthanized August 31)
“right dorsal displacement; [also:] laminitis, pneumonia, colic”

Sunnysyde, August 17, Ruidoso R
“bled, died on way to barn”

Happy Andyversary, August 19, Harrah’s R
“suffered a seizure and expired”

Geremel Hanover, August 21, Plainridge R
“fell over another horse, pulmonary hemorrhage, died instantly”

Mischief Maker, August 28, Tioga T
“shatter[ed] his pastern”

Mz Brown, September 2, Del Mar R
“catastrophic breakdown of the fetlock; fractures of the proximal sesamoid bones; full thickness, transverse rupture of the palmar annular ligament; full thickness, transverse and longitudinal rupture of the intersesamoidean ligament”

Royal Blessing, September 4, Saratoga S
“was found dead in his stall – ileal rupture”

Valley Child, September 6, Los Alamitos T
“left front carpus failure, [multiple fractures]; right front carpus failure, [multiple fractures]” (that’s multiple fractures in two legs)

Chazelle, September 6, Penn S
“found expired in stall” (three years old)

Bronson, September 8, Kentucky Downs R
“multiple fetlock fractures; extensive soft tissue damage; chronic, gastric ulceration”

Cool Breeze De Vie, September 8, Tioga R
“collapsed and died immediately following the race”

Cruzin Wrangler, September 9, Prairie R
“tibial fracture, skull fracture, DOA…the result of a mid-race collision”

Chloes Smoke N Fame, September 9, Sweetwater Downs R
“chest impalement”

G P’s Girl, September 20, Arlington R
“collapsed on track…horse was in agonal breathing and the mucus membranes were white…stopped breathing within seconds of arrival”

Claret Jug, October 4, Remington R
“collapsed at the finish line, died two minutes later” (three years old)

St. Barts, October 6, Saratoga T
“collapsed – pulmonary hemorrhage”

Jess Pure Class, October 14, Turf R
“[broke both front legs]”

Next Dance, October 17, Keeneland R
“horse pulled up and fell – open, comminuted fracture…numerous small fragments of bone embedded in the connective tissues”

Beau Square, October 18, Santa Anita R
“[multiple] complete fractures; [multiple] ligament ruptures”

Semper Frey, October 21, Hawthorne T
“horse went down and was dead before [vet got there]”

E Licious, October 26, Penn R
“horse collapsed just past the finish line – was dead when vet reached [her]” (three years old)

KJ Henry Michael, October 27, Monticello S
“found deceased in stall early morning” (two years old)

Hashtag Fast, October 28, Will Rogers S
“found dead in stall – presumed choke”

Love to Party, November 8, Charles Town R
“shattered MCIII”

Andesine, November 11, Aqueduct R
“collapsed and died after being unsaddled”

Thurman, November 24, Hawthorne R
“complete rupture of [multiple] ligaments”

Coming in Hot, December 4, Portland R
“sudden death/collapse due to circulatory failure”

The Last Factor, December 7, Turfway R
“[two broken legs]”

Unusual Champ, December 12, Turf R
“collapse – pulmonary hemorrhage”

Printscess Hunt, December 27, Charles Town S
“head trauma”

Running Wildcat, December 27, Charles Town S
“cast in stall, broken jaw“