Thousands of horses were abused and killed over the past 78 years
Golden Gate Fields will run its final race Sunday—not just final for
the meet, final forever. While this is a victory for us activists, coming as
it does in a state that often serves as a bellwether on progress in America
(indeed, GG will become the third—following Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park—major track casualty in Cal since 2008), our work now becomes that much
more challenging. For the trend, not just in Cal but across the nation, is
consolidation, with the (few) stronger tracks becoming stronger. We must
meet that challenge, with more passion, more focus, more intensity. To let
them know, we’re here till the job is done, till these beautiful,
intelligent, sensitive creatures are liberated.
In Cal, of course, all attention will now be directed south, to, primarily,
Santa Anita and Del Mar. But there is vulnerability at those two renowned
tracks, too. Santa Anita sits on property that has been valued in the $1B
range; Del Mar’s real estate is owned by the state. With enough pressure,
perhaps SA’s owner, The Stronach Group, could be persuaded to sell (and
profit handsomely), and the state to use Del Mar for things not involving
animal cruelty (it already in fact holds other non-animal events during the
year).
Now, it must be noted that with an expanded schedule this fall at
Pleasanton, the Northern California fair circuit is planning on picking up a
chunk of the lost GG dates. Thus far, that just covers 2024. So, the work up
north is far from done. If you care about suffering and dying horses and
you’re within striking distance of a fair meet (see list of tracks
here),
please contact us for help—materials, guidance, etc.—organizing a
protest.
But for today, let’s savor this moment. Golden Gate dies Sunday. At the same
time, however, let us remember the thousands of horses who were abused and
killed on that vile site over the past 78 years. And all of it, we must not
fail to note, for lousy $2 bets.
Here are the names and injuries/death of 126 victims at this
racetrack over
just the past five years:
Spotlight Rainbow – “gastrointestinal” (two years old)
Maverick Rose – “cellulitis” (three years old)
O B’s – “took a bad step, vanned off, [euthanized]”
Yo Baby – “fetlock [breakdown]”
Stroke of Vangogh – “tibia [breakdown]” (two years old)
Lilly’s Journey – “fetlock [breakdown]”
Tap Union – “gastric rupture” (three years old)
Emma’s Dance – “found dead early this morning” (four years old)
Big Laugh – “found dead early this morning” (two years old)
Ultimate Diva – “[multiple] open fractures, rupture”
Heza Valentine – “ataxic, flipped [multiple times], went down, euthanized”
Lexcellent – “cardiac arrest” (two years old)
Crazy Dreams – “[multiple] fractures, [multiple] ruptures”
Carolina Mia – “[multiple] open, comminuted fractures”
Gardees World – “tenosynovitis”
Great Story – “[multiple] displaced fractures, rupture of several ligaments”
Weeping Willows – “collapsed, dead upon arrival of vets” (two years old)
Navy Queen – “[multiple] fractures, [multiple] ruptures”
Hangin At Haven – “complete fracture of the humerus”
Zakkiyyah – “colic”
Kind of Gallant – “[horse] suffered sudden death galloping out”
Comeuppance – “[multiple] displaced pelvic fractures”
Promisemeparadise – “[probably] sudden death” (three years old)
Its Happy Hour – “complete, comminuted fractures of all metacarpal bones”
Danzing Alydar – “fell: complete, displaced, comminuted humeral fracture”
Smiling Felon – “fetlock [breakdown]”
Hygh I. Q. – “post-surgical sudden death” (three years old)
Better Tomorrow – “multiple fractures/ruptures”
Mugaritz – “multiple fractures and ruptures”
Honey Doo – “catastrophic fracture, tearing of musculature”
My Panache – “[multiple] skull fractures, bled out”
Desert Fog – “collapsed and died from exsanguination”
Hong Kong Cowboy – “[multiple] fractures/ruptures”
Silver Lyric – “sudden death while galloping” (four years old)
Resurrected Noble – “severe cellulitis, RH; laminitis, LH”
Mia Solina – “[multiple] complete fractures, [multiple] tears”
Johneedwnthestreet – “neurological” (three years old)
Dub Town – “abdominal aortic rupture – bled out”
Cyclone Slew – “multiple severe fractures/ruptures”
yet-to-be-named 2-year-old – “congestive heart failure”
Beautiful Lavender – “aortic endocarditis, multiple septic joints”
Staredown – “massive hemorrhage, muscles severely torn”
Munny – “surgery…found deceased this morning”
Sweet Boy – “galloped out and fell over dead” (three years old)
My Three Kids – “[multiple] open, comminuted fractures”
Okoye – “ran into rail – penetrating wound, collapsed lung”
Squiggy – “spinal cord completely severed”
John’s Jewel – “necrotizing pleuropneumonia” (two years old)
yet-to-be-named 2-year-old – “severed tendons”
Velocemente – “open, comminuted fractures, both distal tibiae”
Lady of the House – “multiple open fractures”
Champagneformybaby – “loud pop – catastrophic fracture”
Big Wish – “fractured both LF sesamoids at the finish line”
Music Babe – “came back to barn, found deceased [later]”
Snazzy Cazzy – “found deceased, exsanguination”
Square Dreamer – “[multiple] fractures, [multiple] ruptures”
Mark Whats Mine – “was kicking walls and fractured left hind”
Esperada – “[multiple] open, comminuted, displaced fractures”
Bathory – “vanned off, [euthanized]”
Holdfast – “horse collapsed and died”
Stopdropandroll – “[multiple] fractures, [multiple] ruptures”
Left Alone – “sudden death – exsanguination [she bled out]”
Made in Karoo – “meningoencephalitis with hemorrhage”
Racer – “died during the night – colonic rupture”
Galloping Slew – “catastrophic fracture, hemorrhage, tearing”
Ima Rumbler – “comminuted fracture, ruptured muscles”
Inimitable – “open fractures, ruptures in [both] forelimbs”
Mary’s Great Hope – “catastrophic pelvic fracture”
Elegant Sundown – “open, fractures; severe, complete ruptures”
Super Beauty – “small intestinal strangulation”
Data Hawk – “catastrophic skull fracture, massive hemorrhage”
A Lonna At the Top – “collapsed in stall after training”
Thousand Oaks – “flipped…severe, comminuted skull fracture”
Keck – “catastrophic shoulder fracture”
Get Like Me – “multiple fractures; complete ligament rupture”
Battalion Won – “[broke both front legs], open ruptures”
Enchanting Eva – “the stability of RF limb was destroyed”
Arky Vaughan – “multiple fractures, [multiple] ruptures”
Ailish’s Buttercup – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
Conquest Sabre Cat – “multiple open fractures”
I’ll Dash for Gold – “spinal cord compression, severe ataxia”
Jive Talkin – “[multiple] fractures, [multiple] ruptures”
Wire to Wire Tigah – “[multiple] fractures, [multiple] ruptures”
Street Gambler – “complete hip fracture; hemorrhage”
Snow Pack – “complete rupture of [multiple] ligaments”
Galaxy Master – “horse started shaking, collapsed and died”
My Sweet Lou – “multiple fractures [and] complete ruptures”
Streets – “fracture, [multiple] ruptures”
She’s Got Heart – “multiple fractures of pastern”
Cool Hunter – “multiple fractures, [multiple] ruptures”
Ministers of Money – “multiple fractures, [multiple] ruptures”
Look At My Hooves – “fracture, [multiple] ruptures”
Duchamp – “open, comminuted, complete, displaced fracture”
Love Wins – “found dead in stall at 4:30 am” (two years old)
Cedars of Lebanon – “signs of anaphylaxis, expired thereafter”
Driveroff Thedeck – “catastrophic breakdown of fetlock”
Defiantly – “catastrophic breakdown of left front fetlock”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “cardiac arrest”
Big Ceas – “catastrophic breakdown of left front fetlock”
Tiz Willow – “horse succumbed due to malnutrition”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “purulent cellulitis with secondary laminitis”
Grace Bay – “flipped and struck head on the way to race”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “shattered cannon; severed spinal cord”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “complications after racing”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “ruptured stomach”
Montana Sunset – “equine herpes virus”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “completely severed spinal cord”
Strengthinnumbers – “[multiple] fractures”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “suppurative and fibrinous meningitis”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “fractures, rupture, avulsion”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
Alive and Well – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
Conquest Typhoon – “cardiac arrest”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “trailer accident; suspect septicemia”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “rupture, [multiple] fractures”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “fractured its sesamoid”
Mr. Frank – “collapsed just past wire and died” (three years old)
Eagle Screams – “artery rupture with exsanguination”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “skull fracture – blood coming from ears”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “severe pleuropneumonia”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “sesamoids displaced and fractured, ruptures”
Wilhelmina’s Girl – “[multiple] fractures and ruptures”
Dramatic Ride – “catastrophic skull fracture”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “looked ataxic, fell over, died”
[name redacted by CHRB] – “massive [abdominal] hemorrhage, splenic tear”