Dead horses on a lazy July Sunday:
“With heavy hearts we are sad to share that the very promising filly, Dynamite Charge sustained a catastrophic training incident this morning. She was so special in so many ways, not only was she gifted with tremendous ability but she was a gentle giant with one of the biggest hearts of any in the barn. Dynamite Charge will be greatly missed.” (trainer Doug O’Neill’s FB page)
The 2-year-old Dynamite was coming off a $33,000 win in her very first start, July 4 at Santa Anita. And that is why this “gentle giant will be greatly missed.” Incidentally, that’s two kills in Del Mar’s first three days.
While the chart had 2-year-old The Chilli Man as merely “pulled up, vanned off” in the 5th at Emerald, the track’s website reports that Chilli was euthanized back in the barn.
This is horseracing.
DYNAMITE CHARGE you ended up with a serial killer horse Trainer that gets away with blatant animal cruelty on a continual basis because people support him and this industry.
This industry is a cruelty circus, and death camp Dynamite and you ended up smack in the middle of it. You died for it. You died for people who wanted to wear stupid hats, place a bet, and have a laugh at the expense of your life.
Every single one of you who attended Del Mar, watched Presidential Air die, and remain silent are the worst enemies of our society.
Not one of you, probably, complained to the President of Del Mar Harper – did you?
Not one of you ran out on the track to watch a racehorse writhe and die in pain because you are a bunch of idiot sissies.
You have no backbone.
If you were driving along a road and hit a horse you would stop your vehicle, jump out, and try to help in some capacity.
What makes this so different?
Yet, you choose to ignore it, remain silent about it, and that’s why your just as guilty as this animal killer called horse Trainer. Dynamite Charge died today because many people make a choice, every day, to support this antiquated cruelty circus, and death camp.
There will be many more die because not one of you do anything about it.
How many more must die until this industry is shut down? How many more?
The people out in front of Del Mar, including the child, who were peacefully demonstrating against this abuse, cruelty, doping, dumping, and dying? They are the heroes of our planet because they stand up to protest against this mayhem that should be outlawed, and every racetrack should be shut down.
There is no place in the 21st century for this antiquated business model – no place whatsoever.
Many people know about it, and do something about it.
The people who continue to participate, and support this carnage continually to defend the dying on racetracks almost every day. You people are the worst.
Doug O’Neill needs to be charged with Felony Animal Cruelty charges, drag his ugly face into court, subpoena the doping records, and get this criminal in jail.
Once this precedent is set, then the rest of the horse killers should follow.
Sorry for you The Chilli Man. Who were part of this horrific scenario like most other racehorses until you died under the care of a monster.
Doug O’Neill you are a monster who needs to be held responsible, and accountable for every single racehorse that has died under your care.
You smile in people’s facing claiming to “love” these horses. Killing a sentiment being is not love. You may have not been directly killing the horse, but you certainly contributed to her demise. She died under your direct supervision while you were well aware of the possible doping going on.
The shock wave therapy machine must be over heating from over use right?
You are a low life parasitic scum bag.
Although I do not know you, and I also do not know anything about the horse racing business, the statement you have written and posted here moved me very much. Obviously you are such a caring, thoughtful, and knowledgeable person. Good for you to have composed such a critical piece and for sharing it. I want to know how I can protest to help.
Thanks Patrice. If you want to know about the real world of horse racing – the truth – then stick with this blog.
Don’t fall for the delusion that this industry portrays.
There are many people commenting on this blog, myself included, who are ex-insiders.
We have held different capacities in this industry from owners, to trainers, jockeys, grooms to people who rescue the horses that they dump.
So many of the comments here are based on direct experience.
However, the killed in action list is a fact – an indisputable fact, and many are dying for $2 bets.
I don’t know where you live, but there is a peaceful demonstration going on in front of Del Mar again this weekend.
There’s also a peaceful demonstration going on outside of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York.
Many of the bloggers here will be attending.
Go to Facebook – horseracingwrongs and the details are there.
If you don’t live close to either of these demos, then you can organize a demo outside of the racetrack that is closest to you.
There are many people like you who want to attend these peaceful demonstrations, but live too far.
So there are probably many others like yourself that live close by who will participate in a peaceful demonstration if you should organize one.
You realize that it’s every American citizens right to peacefully demonstrate.
There was an undercover investigation conducted by PETA, and a video released on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TJVA2lwW4A
This also shows the everyday life of an active thoroughbred, and videos don’t lie – unfortunately.
Thanks so much for your comment and interest.
Well said, Gina.
I agree Gina.
I too concur completely with Gina.
Once again death is happening every other day at Del Mar. That is the history there. I told people at the track Sunday that a horse would die. Funny that no one mentions the horses that die during training, like their life doesn’t matter. These horses are literally raced and trained to death. The is pure legalized animal abuse. This has to stop!
We many years ago were told by a buyer of our horses when we asked why he was not going to race them at Emerald said ” Emerald is too hard on horses and has too high a break down rate”. This buyer traveled with his son all the way to the Barrett`s sale and bought our colts entered in the sale. He sadly brought them all the way back to our state to run at the bull ring , bush league tracks that our state is great for! We are one of the FEW breeders who have had the experience of having horses from the SAME, EXACT, pedigrees, same sires, dams, and NEVER win a race in the state they were foaled! Once they were raced OUT of state they began to win races. This was all before we realized how fouled up,drug ridden all racing jurisdictions are. We now do due diligence and market our horses as family horses who we prefer to live on the same property as their families which of course the horses enjoy too. We have had people tell us that were not raising horses “but large puppy dogs that thrive on companionship of people as well as other horses”. If you have ever seen the morning gallops at Emerald you would see how crazy it is with horses coming onto and off of the track all over the place! There are apparently MANY on gaps/ off gaps at Emerald. We were able to watch the gallops in the mornings online a few years ago and were surprised at how chaotic it all was.We have also read in the WTOBA journal of how Emerald tracks surface is composed of a semi-synthetic surface with a mixture of many materials in the composition of the track.
How many horses have to die before this animal abuse stops?! Your “love” of Dynamite Charge is based on your using and abusing her for fame, fun and money. Horse racing needs to be put down & the horses saved. Racing animals only proves what a vile race we are! RIP, Dynamite Charge; you deserved better!
The trainer of The Chili Man was so devastated by his passing that she committed suicide. Not all trainers are heartless.
To assume that Monique Snowden commited suicide because she cared so much for The Chili Man can be the wrong assumption, and to portray it otherwise is misleading.
There are probably a multitude of factors that lead her to take her own life. Sorry for you Monique.
I can draw on direct experience of 2 people that I knew in the industry that took their own life.
One worked for me. Noel Turcotte was a famous jockey on the Canadian circuit in the 60’s and the 70’s.
He was also very depressed over the guilt that he felt beating the crap out of a racehorse in the stretch when he knew it was sore and/or tired. He said he could never forgive himself for the racehorses that broke down and/or died as a direct result (he thought) of him continually whipping them to perform.
He had a conscious and it was weighing heavily on him.
We would talk about it quite often, but one morning he didn’t show up for work.
He was found hanging from his closet. He had commited suicide.
I can’t pinpoint one reason as to why he did this, but I do know that he was riddled with guilt, and felt responsible for racehorses that he had to beat in order to win, and be successful.
It was a sad day for all of us, and he is missed.
Then there was Steve Parish. Steve was a Trainer at Ft. Erie.
I saw him 2 days before he committed suicide.
He told me that he no longer wanted to be a Trainer because he hated abusing racehorses in order to get them to perform.
He said “how can I love them, and then needle and whip them to win?”
He was questioning the entire delusion – 2 days later he was found hanging from one of his stalls.
Of course the industry covered it up just like they do when racehorses breakdown. Total disrespect for life, but they continually claim how they “love” racehorses and the people who work for them.
I’m sure there were many factors involved as to why Steve commited suicide, but he was questioning the entire delusion of horse training, and having a very hard time dealing with it.
These are 2 direct examples that I witnessed, but I know of many more that I heard about.
In every case, the person was questioning exactly what they were doing with these racehorses.
They were questioning the delusion of “love” while perpetrating actions of cruelty, and abuse on the racehorses in their care.
It’s possible that Monique felt responsible for The Chili’s Man’s catastrophic breakdown because she knew what she possibly did to get him to perform. Perhaps she was aware of a physical issue that she kept taking a chance with – common in this industry.
I suppose we can only speculate, but this business exploits and kills both racehorses, and people whether that killing is direct or indirect the result is the same.
Horse racing is a cruelty circus, and death camp for all involved.
The trainer of The Chilli Man Monique Snowden jumped off a bridge and committed suicide.
Sincerely sorry to hear this very sad news about Monique Snowden.
Even more tragic is that others have taken their lives as a result of being involved in horseracing. The horses are not the only participants who suffer and lose their lives, however, the horses have no say, they are unwilling participants and are forced to race.
Personally, I lost a dear friend who was the daughter of a breeder, a beautiful woman with a young child who lived on the farm working with the mares and foals. On my trips up north I would stay with them and she confided that she hated the racing industry. On my last return trip I helped her with separating foals from their mothers and we were distressed with the babies crying for their mothers who were desperate to be with their babies – far too young to do this to them.
Thought all was going OK for her and several months later get the phone call – on the horses’ national birthday in darkness she walked to the main highway and jumped out of the bushes in front of a huge transport truck ensuring that the driver couldn’t take evasive action. She left behind a young child and a devastated family.
The horseracing industry kills and destroys in more ways than one!
Rip Dynamite Charge and The Chili Man. I just read about The Chili Man’s trainer Monique who took her life. So heartbreaking to hear more and more breakdowns all because of people trying to win millions in the industry. I am proud to say my fiancé Ryan and I are
Going to step up our part by opening our farm to some retired race horses. I told him that I wanted to make a home for those who are thrown away like trash at the livestock auctions. I know rescues have ones that need homes and my hearts set on those lost ones at the slaughter bound places. We have dairy cattle but we also have land for a few horses too.
As for Doug O’neill I’ve heard many stories on the horses
He’s trained who ended up dead.
I just saw your 2016 killed list (https://horseracingwrongs.com/kia-2016/). 196 horses murdered in just this year alone?! I can’t believe it.
And they’re just the ones that the industry chooses to disclose. Having worked in the industry hands on, it is no exaggeration to state that that number can easily be doubled.
Condolences to the family, without words
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/monique-snowden-usa-trainer-dies-in-apparent-suicide-after-horse-put-down/2122655/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews