About six hours after we finished another successful protest – 75 strong – at Saratoga Race Course, another victim was entered into the ’17 Death Log. In the final race of the day, says the Gaming Commission, 4-year-old Unbroken Chain “suffered a fatal musculoskeletal injury and was euthanized.” Said injury, notes the chartwriter, was the result of some “bad steps.” Incidentally, in this same race, Thirsty Donnerstag “…swung four wide onto the backstretch in apparent distress, heading [sic?] cocked to the right, bore out before being pulled up…” No word on the 3-year-old’s condition. (Curiously, this race, and this race alone, is inaccessible on NYRA’s replay page.)
To date, 11 animals have been sacrificed at Saratoga this season. 11. |
Probably like most people, I pay little attention to horse racing outside of the Triple Crown, a few other New York state races of note, and maybe a tiny bit a few times a summer to the local track at Tioga Downs.
I just don't hear much about deaths, and it seems like when we do, it's sad and somewhat shocking.
For those who follow the sport, is this a typical year for a track? If so, wow. I never new.
Link - (
New Window )
Glue, Glue Everywhere! - ( New Window )
The 11th horse, "Unbroken Chain," suffered a fatal musculoskeletal injury and was euthanized after a race on Sunday, according to NYS Gaming Commission's equine incident database.
In just one week, from July 31 to Aug. 6, six horses died at the race course. In the past eight years, there have been an average of 13.5 training and race-related horse deaths at Saratoga, causing outrage from protest groups like Horseracing Wrongs.
The group protested at the race course on opening day and plans to continue throughout the 2017 meet. However, many argue that the race and training-related deaths are just a part of the sport.
The NYS Gaming Commission veterinarian told News Channel 13 that despite the horses having their own doctors and individual care, the deaths are a "major concern" and they are investigating ways to prevent them going forward.
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So this year seems not too different from "average" - not saying that's a good thing, though.
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Since the start of racing season last month, a new and surprising sight has greeted visitors to the Saratoga Race Track: Two topless women, standing just outside the track entrance, with only green body paint covering their chests.
The women, who go only by Sara and Alice, tell the Schenectady Daily Gazette that they are raising money and awareness for breast cancer, and giving anyone who stops for a picture with them a little bit of luck (the body paint is shaped like shamrocks).
NSFW? - ( New Window )
Two things have happened since the 70's that may be contributing to the problem. During the age of Secratariat, the early 70's drugging of horses was illegal. Of course there was some illegal doping. Another characteristic of the 70's is that there were a lot of race horses. Claiming races and Maiden races often had waiting lists, i.e more horses entered into the race than there was room for.
In the late 70's doping, excuse me, medicating of horses on race day became legal. First it was Butazolidin , nowadays they can inject a horse with almost every thing. Also, in contrast the 70's there aren't enough race horses. Racing secrataries scramble to put together 6 or 8 horse fields. Obviously this puts pressure on owners and trainers to get their horses onto the track whether they are ready or not.