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Through a FOIA request to the Ohio State Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks in 2019. (This is Part 2; Part 1 here.) As usual, the Commission did not forward stall deaths; in addition, only one training kill was disclosed. In other words, the true toll in Ohio is much higher than what I’ve been able to report, and I’ve been able to report 47 dead horses.

Soroa, May 21, Thistledown R
“Horse fractured cannon and fell at 1/8 pole, euthanized on track.”

Beau Dan, May 30, Belterra R
“Fell at 3/16 pole. Open, compound, disarticulated fracture of the fetlock. Horse was humanely euthanized.”

Irish Miss, May 31, Belterra R
“Broke from gate unseating rider. Horse continued to travel erratically down the rail. She bucked, kicked, and exhibited bunny hopping. Upon stopping, her hind legs collapsed. Suspect pelvic fracture with nerve damage as well as spinal cord trauma. Horse was humanely euthanized.” (her first race)

I Miss Jumbo, Jun 9, Thistledown T
“Broken pelvis, humane euthanasia.” (being prepped for her first race)

Coraline, Jun 11, Thistledown R
“Horse fractured ankle – displaced – during race. Blood collected before euthanasia.”

Pomera, Jun 23, Belterra R
“Mare went down at 1/8 pole. Rupture of sesamoidean apparatus and complete dislocation of fetlock joint – open, compound. Humanely euthanized.”

Colonel Lewis, Jul 24, Thistledown R
“Horse dislocated – open, degloved – ankle at 3/8 pole and was euthanized on track.”

Forza, Jul 30, Thistledown R
“Horse fractured cannon – open – at 1/8 pole and was euthanized on track.”

Quinnehtukqut, Aug 10, Thistledown R
“Fractured shoulder at 3/8 pole, euthanized on track.”

Purple Flowers, Aug 15, Belterra R
“Mare broke down at finish line. Breakdown of sesamoidean apparatus with complete dislocation of fetlock joint. Mare was humanely euthanized.”

Anything, Aug 17, Belterra R
“Filly pulled up just past 1/4 pole. 3rd carpal bone had fractured into multiple pieces. Horse was humanely euthanized.”

Tango Lima, Aug 20, Thistledown R
“Horse fractured cannon bone – open, displaced – and was euthanized on track.”

Uncle Lite A (sic), Aug 31, Northfield R
“Horse collapsed at 1/2 – comminuted, open fracture of cannon bone. Gave [meds] prior to euthanasia for shock and pain.”

Wicked Drive, Sep 2, Thistledown R (euthanized Sep 3)
“Comminuted, displaced knee fracture. Owner elected euthanasia.”

Carol Marie, Sep 9, Belterra R
“Filly bobbled at 1/4 pole. Multiple carpal bones fractured. Humanely euthanized.”

Blues Story, Sep 10, Thistledown R
“Horse fractured ankle – displaced – at wire, euthanized on track.”

She’s Flat Out, Sep 11, Thistledown R
“Horse fractured ankle at 3/8 pole, vanned and [euthanized].”

Beltway, Sep 11, Thistledown R
“Horse fractured ankle – comminuted, open – at 1/2 pole. Blood collected before euthanasia.”

Fashion Shot, Sep 13, Belterra R
“Pulled up at 1/16 pole. Bilateral sesamoid fractures. Horse was humanely euthanized.”

Super Franchise, Oct 26, Mahoning R
“Horse pulled up very lame after race…vanned off. Owner elected euthanasia.”

Valparaiso Hanover, Oct 28, Northfield R
“Comminuted P1/P2 fracture. Blood drawn prior to euthanasia.”

Iamthebest, Oct 29, Mahoning R
“Horse fractured right knee – multiple, comminuted, loss of column support – after 3/8 pole, euthanized on track.”

Arabella, Dec 7, Northfield R
“Comminuted, open fracture of pastern joint. 200 cc euthasol.”

Macca Tree, Dec 14, Mahoning R
“Horse fractured cannon bone – open, displaced – at 3/16 pole. Blood collected before euthanasia.”

Whisper Barrow, Dec 14, Mahoning R
“Horse ruptured DDFT during race. Blood collected before euthanasia.”

Vertifiable, Dec 17, Mahoning R
“Horse fractured sesamoids – comminuted, displaced – at 5/16 pole, euthanized on track.”

Rooster Did It, Dec 21, Mahoning R
“Horse rebowed LF during stretch run, vanned…humane euthanasia.”

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According to the California Horse Racing Board, Data Hawk died at Golden Gate Friday: “accident – skull,” no other details given. Data Hawk was three years old. Prior to his most recent race, January 10, he was sold – yes, the ubiquitous “claiming race,” our answer to all who claim to love their horses as their children.

Meanwhile, the killing, as expected, returns to Santa Anita. Saturday, the track says, Double Touch dropped dead while training – “cause unknown.” Double Touch was only five years old, not yet fully mature. Dropped dead. This is horseracing.

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Let’s start with the obvious: All horseracing is animal abuse. All of it – no matter the form, no matter the level, no matter the country, no matter the state, no matter the “connections.” Horseracing is inherently cruel. Period. But every once in a while, someone manages to ratchet up that cruelty just a tad.

5-year-old Blazingulch was raced at Rillito Park in Tucson at 3:45 pm Saturday. (That race, by the way, was about as cheap a race as you can get: All the entries were “For Sale” prior to at a pittance – $2,000.) At 1:00 pm the next day, Blazingulch was put to the whip at Turf Paradise in Phoenix. So: raced, loaded onto a truck, shipped some two hours away, unloaded, raced again (where, unsurprisingly, he finished dead last, “trailing the field”). All in less than 24 hours. Oh, and injected with Lasix for both races.

The wretched (feel free to insert your own adjectives) man responsible – among others: where were the Turf vets/stewards? – is trainer/owner Juan Pablo Silva.

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According to the NYS Gaming Commission, A Freud of Mama “passed” Saturday “after post-op complications from [a] fracture sustained on Belmont training track January 24.” So now these horses are “passing” as opposed to simply dying. Wow. The Commission, of course, filed this under “other” even as it reports the fatal injury occurred on-track. And this, folks, is just one of the ways Racing massages its kill numbers. A Freud of Mama was but two and had been put to the whip six times.

This is horseracing.