Kill…Kill…Kill…Kill…Kill – At Least Five Dead Racehorses on U.S. Tracks Yesterday
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM Horseracing Wrongs
January 12, 2019

There were at least five kills on U.S. tracks yesterday. How is this even remotely defensible in 21st Century America?

Yesterday…

The 6th race at Laurel, as described by Equibase:

“TUFFY’S WAY…fell when sustaining a catastrophic injury soon past the quarter pole then was euthanized on the track. KIMBERLY B….sustained a catastrophic injury after striking a rival inside the quarter pole and was euthanized on the track.”

The recap also included other horses “jumping” or “falling” over their downed “rivals,” or simply swerving to “avoid the spill.”

“The spill.”

The horror that this scene must have been was, of course, edited-out on the official MarylandRacing YouTube channel.

But – even with horses sprawled (and dying) in the dirt, the Winner’s Circle went on...

In the 1st at Santa Anita, Derby Treasure “took a bad step when seriously injured, fell,” and, according to multiple sources, is dead. BloodHorse’s Jeremy Balan said this on Twitter: “Also not great that right before the incident [jockey Edgar] Payeras was still getting after the filly, while she pretty obviously was done and going to finish last.”

“…still getting after the filly” – was being whipped to the very end. This, by the way, was DT’s eighth race – all at the “maiden claiming” level, meaning she had never “won” and was “For Sale” each time out. (In fact, she had never finished higher than 4th.)

And finally, the Paulick Report relays a double kill during morning training at Fair Grounds. Evidently, one horse dumped his rider, ran the wrong way and, well, here’s Paulick: “The ensuing head-on collision resulted in the death of both horses – it was unclear whether the horses were killed instantly or had to be euthanized.” The dead horses were left unidentified, apparently to protect the owners’ “privacy.”

So, folks, that’s at least (surely there were others) five kills on U.S. tracks yesterday. How is this even remotely defensible in 21st Century America?

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