An apologist’s Kentucky Derby nightmare
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Patrick Battuello
Originally posted by Patrick Battuello in the Animal Rights blog
May 2014

On this, Davidowitz is exactly right – racing, precarious racing, can ill afford a kill or two on its biggest day of the year. But to those of us paying attention, a breakdown at the Kentucky Derby would just be another among many hundreds that occur each year.

In his latest column on ESPN, Steve Davidowitz frets over the atypically (for racing as a whole) large field size (20) for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. More specifically, with so many horses jostling for position, Davidowitz imagines a nightmarish pileup and the public backlash that would surely follow:

I pray to myself every time they open the Derby starting gate that no horse is going to be knocked so badly off stride that he causes a chain reaction of carnage similar to what we sometimes see during the first quarter-mile of the Indianapolis 500. Lord knows, Churchill Downs and all the people who love horse racing do not want to see anything close to something like that. The negative consequences from such a disaster would be the toughest body blow Churchill Downs and the racing industry ever has suffered.

On this, Davidowitz is exactly right – racing, precarious racing, can ill afford a kill or two on its biggest day of the year. But to those of us paying attention, a breakdown at the Kentucky Derby would just be another among many hundreds that occur each year. While true that California Chrome and the rest are far more valuable than the pedestrian card-fillers we see at most tracks, that value only extends to their humans’ balance sheets. In truth, tomorrow’s golden group is morally indistinguishable from this one:

"Race" Horses Dead or "Broke Down" – 2014
By Patrick Battuello, Horseracing Wrongs

This list does not include those horses reported as merely “vanned off” – unable to walk under their own power (see our weekly “Casualties”). But consider this: Two respected former racers have independently told me that up to 90% of ambulance-riders require euthanasia.

In keeping with its deceptive core, racing tries mightily to hide its dead “athletes.” It’s bad for business, and business can’t afford much more bad. Currently, but one state, NY, maintains a public database; in all states, only a small fraction of deaths – typically those involving a high-profile horse or race – garner press coverage.

So, kill confirmations are hard to come by. Sometimes, but not always, the chart-writer will note an on-track euthanasia; more often, he’ll submit an intentionally nebulous “broke down.” But in racing parlance, “broke down” almost invariably means death.

Furthermore, the vast majority of harness and training deaths are not reflected here, for that information is even more secretive (except, again, for NY and the occasional “star”). But for context, training accounted for a full 43% of NY’s racing-related kills last year.

And finally, this list does not include those horses reported as merely “vanned off” – unable to walk under their own power (see our weekly “Casualties”). But consider this: Two respected former racers have independently told me that up to 90% of ambulance-riders require euthanasia. And this says nothing of the “pulled up,” “eased,” and “DNFs.” In short, what follows is far from a complete reckoning of racing’s carnage.

American racehorses reported as dead or “broke down” in 2014:

3-year-old Aunt Meanie, January 1, Fair Grounds, race 9
5-year-old Uncle Smokey, January 2, Aqueduct, race 7
3-year-old Shand, January 2, Santa Anita, race 8
4-year-old Sassy Cherokee, January 4, Charles Town, race 1
3-year-old Classic Ford, January 4, Fair Grounds, race 10
2-year-old Side Street, January 4, Gulfstream, race 3
8-year-old Caixa Eletronica, January 4, Belmont, training
3-year-old Six Drivers, January 4, Belmont, training
2-year-old Blonde for Ever, January 6, Parx, race 3
4-year-old Clodhopper, January 6, Turf, race 3
8-year-old Devils Afleet, January 8, Turf, race 3
2-year-old Casey Lynn, January 9, Delta, race 1
3-year-old Battle Silk, January 9, Delta, race 9
4-year-old Skip the Limit, January 11, Charles Town, race 6
4-year-old Golden Archway, January 11, Tampa Bay, race 3
3-year-old Go Canes Go, January 13, Belmont, training
6-year-old Mystery Taste, January 14, Beulah, race 7
4-year-old Past Glory, January 16, Charles Town, race 8
3-year-old The Mikester, January 16, Penn National, race 1
5-year-old Actin Lucky, January 18, Charles Town, race 7
4-year-old Diplomatic Gal, January 18, Charles Town, race 7
6-year-old More Nuggets, January 18, Hialeah, race 3
4-year-old Trick the Queen, January 18, Laurel, race 5
3-year-old Longevity, January 18, Oaklawn, race 3
2-year-old Top Data, January 20, Fair Grounds, race 9
4-year-old Vanessa Flag, January 21, Sunland, race
5-year-old Holleran, January 22, Beulah, race 2
3-year-old Dixie Sparkle, January 26, Aqueduct, race 7
3-year-old Silent Blessing, January 26, Calder, race 2
4-year-old Gimmenosass, January 26, Turf, race 8
4-year-old Royal Affair, January 29, Beulah, race 1
2-year-old Valar Dohaeris, January 30, Belmont, training
4-year-old Flashy in Pink, February 1, Belmont, training
2-year-old Tizardo, February 1, Oaklawn, race 9
4-year-old Minotaur, February 4, Turf, race 1
5-year-old Silver Cloud, February 5, Tampa Bay, race 9
2-year-old Salt Block, February 6, Laurel, race 4
3-year-old Cougarontheprowl, February 6, Santa Anita, race 4
4-year-old Mr Manske, February 7, Charles Town, race 4
4-year-old Malibu Affair, February 8, Sunland, race 9
5-year-old Code of Conduct, February 14, Santa Anita, race 7
4-year-old LG Jet, February 15, Turf, race 2
4-year-old Vero’s Hero, February 16, Gulfstream, race 1
3-year-old He’s Not Too Shaby, February 17, Santa Anita, race 9
5-year-old Gracias, February 17, Turf, race 2
3-year-old Sum Royal, February 20, Charles Town, race 2
3-year-old Andromeda’s Coming, February 22, Aqueduct, race 3
9-year-old Miss Palatine, February 22, Hawthorne, race 2
4-year-old Body of Evidence, February 22, Hialeah, race 2
Standardbred Scottie C, February 22, Buffalo, race 3 (50)
2-year-old Chica de La Noche, February 23, Louisiana, race 7
Standardbred Pay Tribute, February 26, Buffalo, race 7
5-year-old Giant Indian, February 26, Laurel, race 7
4-year-old Sea Rep Run, February 28, Charles Town, race 6
5-year-old Sound of Drums, March 1, Aqueduct, race 7
2-year-old Syeshacat, March 1, Mountaineer, race 4
3-year-old King Moon, March 2, Oaklawn, race 4
3-year-old Aggressive Prize, March 3, Louisiana, race 5
2-year-old Changeinaction, March 5, Belmont, training
6-year-old The Program, March 6, Fair Grounds, race 8
2-year-old Miss Da Sunrise, March 7, Fair Grounds, race 4
5-year-old Cellophane, March 7, Golden Gate, race 6
6-year-old Tawdry, March 10, Mountaineer, race 8
Standardbred Hickory Louie, March 12, Monticello, race 8
2-year-old Uncle Betty, March 13, Charles Town, race 5
3-year-old Kenai Warrior, March 14, Gulfstream, race 6
4-year-old Concept, March 15, Aqueduct, training
7-year-old Itsagoodtendollars, Belmont, training
3-year-old Fardan, March 15, Santa Anita, race 1
3-year-old Broadway Peyton, March 15, Tampa Bay, race 6
5-year-old El Altanero, March 17, Beulah, race 7
3-year-old Hot Little Thang, March 17, Turf, race 1
4-year-old Colonel By, March 21, Charles Town, race 2
3-year-old Finesse, March 21, Oaklawn, race 7
4-year-old Garden Tavern, March 22, Charles Town, race 2
4-year-old Diva On Demand, March 22, Laurel, race 4
4-year-old Sweetly Put, March 22, Penn, race 9
6-year-old Vagabond Shoes, March 22, Santa Anita, race 4
3-year-old Vengeful, March 23, Gulfstream, race 2
6-year-old With a Miracle, March 23, Sunland, race 7
6-year-old Kern River, March 28, Fonner, race 2
3-year-old Art of the Game, March 28, Gulfstream, race 8
2-year-old Russian Silk, March 29, Santa Anita, race 9
3-year-old Causewere Gamblers, March 30, Santa Anita, race 3
4-year-old Notbyemyrules, March 30, Santa Anita, race 9
2-year-old Jojonotjoelowe, April 3, Aqueduct, training
6-year-old No Shenanigans, April 4, Pimlico, race 5
6-year-old Crystallo, April 6, Mountaineer, race 3
6-year-old Hudson Ridge, April 6, Pimlico, race 9
8-year-old Casey’s On Call, April 9, Hawthorne, race 2
2-year-old Ivebeensaved, April 12, Parx, race 6
4-year-old Alondra Sky, April 13, Gulfstream, race 4
5-year-old Here Comes Drz, April 15, Charles Town, race 6
4-year-old American Iron, April 15, Finger Lakes, training
3-year-old Sicard’s Sensation, April 17, Evangeline, race 10
3-year-old Recovered, April 18, Finger Lakes, race 3
Standardbred Southwind Tabor, April 21, Yonkers, race 12
4-year-old Marcelino Springs, April 26, Golden Gate, race 8
5-year-old Marine, April 26, Gulfstream, race 9
5-year-old Cuban Devil, April 27, Atlantic City, race 5 (100)
8-year-old Golden Mexico, April 27, Golden Gate, race 4
6-year-old Caverna, April 28, Beulah, race 2
5-year-old Rock Elle Ten, April 30, Evangeline, race 2
3-year-old Handstand, May 1, Belmont, race 6
6-year-old Hotradamus, May 1, Santa Anita, race 3
3-year-old Polar Pal, May 2, Evangeline, race 7
5-year-old Granny Calling, May 2, Santa Anita, race 1
3-year-old Canadian Winner, May 3, Churchill, race 13
9-year-old Boston Chief, May 3, Finger Lakes, training
3-year-old Zion Hill, May 4, Mountaineer, race 6
Standardbred Liberty Cruise, May 5, Yonkers, race 5 

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