Various direct quotes from those within the industry…
Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director, California Horse Racing Board (New York Times, 3/24/12): “It’s hard to justify how many horses we go through. In humans you never see someone snap their leg off running in the Olympics. But you see it in horse racing.”
Dr. Margaret Ohlinger, track vet, Finger Lakes (New York Times, 3/24/12): “It’s hard to watch these poor animals running for their lives for people who could really care less if they live.”
Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director, California Horse Racing Board (New York Times, 4/30/12): “If the public knew how many medications these horses were administered after entry time, I don’t think they would tolerate it.”
Dr. Tom David, former chief vet, Louisiana Racing Commission (New York Times, 4/30/12): “It’s [the racino/claiming equation] strictly self-centered greed of not thinking about the horse but thinking about maybe I can get one more race out of him and get a piece of the game.”
Maggi Moss, prominent trainer, on racinos/claiming races (New York Times, 4/30/12) “If horses don’t win, people just get rid of them.”
Juan Serey, trainer, on racinos/claiming races (New York Times, 4/30/12) “Everybody just wants a horse, and they want him now to race in 10 days. I want a horse today and I don’t want it tomorrow. I’m a businessman. …If somebody takes my bad horses, it’s good. …This is a game, and we have to know how to play.”
Maggi Moss, prominent trainer, on running “claimers” (The Iowan, July ’12): “It’s getting much easier for me to run my horses out East so that I don’t get so personally attached to them. This is a business…”
Dr. Phillip Kapraun, Illinois vet, on his liberal use of the banned substance “snake venom” (New York Times, 9/21/12): “The economics of horse racing does not allow for that. Horse racing is on the decline. If a horse needed a year to heal up, they would go to the killers up in Canada or Mexico [slaughterhouses].”
Bill Casner, prominent owner (Thoroughbred Daily News, March ’14): “Our industry is permeated with those who have no regard for the welfare of the horse… The horse becomes only a tool for fulfilling their own agendas of WIN AT ALL COSTS. Most trainers have little or no investment in the horses they train, whether it is financial or emotional. They will run red light after red light in pushing that horse until it fails and then they will call the owner and spin him a story. …those trainers will tell the owner that the horse ‘just took a bad step’ and ‘that’s horse racing.'”
Dr. Lisa Hanelt, track vet, Finger Lakes (Blood-Horse, 7/8/14): “We’ve all heard about the ‘bad step.’ It isn’t true. …Trainers have the power to make a horse high-risk or lower-risk.”
Michael Matz, Barbaro’s trainer (AP, 5/9/16): “The worst part of it is, we never will really know how good he really was.” (not that he died)
Dr. Dean Richardson, vet who operated on Barbaro (AP, 5/9/16): “It’s not that horses can’t be repaired, it’s just that many times the economics of repairing a horse’s injury are not aligned. You don’t have the combination of an owner who has the resources and a horse that justifies that expense.”
Ray Paulick, prominent racing writer (Paulick Report, 5/27/16): “The public has changed. We’re using animals for entertainment here. And, all you have to do is look at the circus where they’ve eliminated elephants from the show…look at SeaWorld… We have to do everything possible for the safety and health of these horses because we’re using them for entertainment. That’s the bottom line.”
Bill Finley, prominent racing writer (Thoroughbred Daily News, 5/27/16): “He [a Jockeys’ Guild official who argues that the new more-liberal California whip rule is not abuse] might want to bring that up with my 15-year-old daughter. Brought up in a family where both parents work in the racing industry, she has zero interest in the sport and when asked why said it is because she doesn’t like to watch the jockeys beating the horses.”
John Wheeler, prominent trainer, after three horses were killed in a single day at a New Zealand racecourse (New Zealand Herald, 6/8/16): “We accept the risk that comes with it…but that’s part of it. Where you have livestock, you have dead stock.”
WAY TO GO Patrick!!!!!
Just brilliant Patrick!
The horses say THANK YOU.
Its ugly business. Very ugly…
I look forward to adding some more.
Wow. You have added Tabloid journalism to ambulance chasing . So much cut and paste in this , why not print the whole article ? Why take quotes out of context , oh wait I know , you like your drama served with innuendo .
Nothing out of context here.
debra? I don’t even know if your name is real or if you are a woman or man BUT I know Patrick is real. You are nothing but a troll. I have NEVER heard anything positive out of your “mouth”. Why don’t you just go away? I think Patrick has been more than patient with you. If this was my blog you would have been banned months ago.
Great Patrick.
The people who participate in, and support horse racing are so delusional that even when they are exposed to the ugly cruelty, and abuse they still continue.
If not delusional, then certainly masochistic.
How can anybody invest, participate, and support such a cruelty circus, and death camp?
Here’s an excerpt from the groom of Cherokee Run who was euthanized yesterday:
“He was now four years old and was plagued with foot problems since the previous year. In his last race before the Breeders’ Cup, the Vosburgh, Cherokee Run shed the frog underneath his foot. As he galloped back to be unsaddled following a third-place finish, he left a trail of blood.”
Sounds just like Nehro.
I can tell you from a Trainer’s perspective that any racehorse who is “plagued with foot problems,” is running in pain, to what degree depends on the dope he is given.
Back in 1994, the drug rules were much more lax so he was more than likely running on some form of pain medication in order to perform at that level.
Despite the fact the owners were made aware of the problem they still ordered
the horse to stay in training, and racing.
He was not rested.
He continued to fill the wagering machine with profit and fatten the wallets of the connections.
Just another racehorse exploited for profit like they all are.
The only difference is he was a stallion, and was bought by one of the richest owners in the world who can afford to provide him with good care until euthanized yesterday.
At least his groom admitted it:
“I always try to keep up with my “old friends” after their racing days. It is hard to see all of them, as most do not get the care that Cherokee Run was fortunate enough to have”
It’s difficult for many to keep up with any of them unless they visit the local kill auction or pick up the upper lips left on the slaughterhouse floor to check the tattoo – then they have a good chance of finding them.
One think I know, when I have found them at a kill auction moments away from being loaded onto the slaughterhouse truck none of the connections can be found.
If I’m lucky enough to locate them, they will say how much they “loved” the horse, but rarely send a dime to get them out of harms way.
Isn’t it amazing how this multi-billion dollar industry, that receives unprecedented amounts of corporate welfare, tax breaks, taxpayers money and/or casino profits give little or nothing to the racehorse it exploits?
Whether it’s whipping, doping, dumping or dying these are just some of the necessary modes required to operate, and not one racehorse escapes one of these.
Most racehorses require dope in order to keep them running on physical ailments.
Then when the dope starts to wear off in the stretch, they get beaten to perform.
How can anybody with any compassion or any moral compass participate and/or support this ongoing cruelty to racehorses?
Here’s yet another story about GREED.
http://www.paulickreport.com/news/thoroughbred-racing/little-mike-fades-fifth-first-start-since-2014/
Little Mike sustained a serious enough injury to warrant a 2 year lay-off.
Nobody would have imagined, after making $3,543,012, that the connections would put him back into horse racing – the business that almost ended his life.
Oh, but they love the horse. Well if this is love then I wouldn’t want to see their hate.
Apparently, making close to 4 million is not enough to retire him to a grassy paddock, safe from his prior injuries, safe from maybe having a catastrophic breakdown.
I often read the comments on the Bloodhorse where this article was, and there’s one pro-horse racing lady that sickens me with her comments on most occassions.
However, this time she actually said something with substance that pretty much indicted these greedy owners of Little Mike:
From Ida Lee: Overheard from Little Mike: “Get me the hell out of here …. I’m tired … I’m disgusted … I’m ready to retire …. call Michael … get me a nice paddock and send out the invites to my adoring fans .. I’m ready for them”.
From Linda Daly: Hasn’t he earned his retirement? Let him retire/go on to another career with dignity. $3.5M for your team… he’s more than paid for a soft landing.
Susan Earl: Little Mike has so many fan. I don’t want him hurt. After $3.5 million he deserves a nice
retirement place.
The majority of comments urged the connections to retire Little Mike.
The connections are being supported by the industry itself because they rarely deny entry, and racing of any racehorse.
They know Little Mike has fans which results in increased wagering income which is their priority.
If they really cared about racehorses then they would release a statement urging the connections to retire the racehorse, but this is horse racing.
We have seen time, and time again where racehorses are being pretty much sent to their death based on the PP’s or sent into another round of cruelty, and abuse based on their PP’s.
Horses like Halos And Angels. The list goes on and on.
Another horse on my watch list very recently is LORD OF GREATNESS. This is a 10 y.o. gelding who made $615,044 for Owner/Trainer Robert (Bob) Tiller. He’s still running, but now he’s running for a $6000 tag – up for sale. Oh, but Bob just loves his horses – yea right.
This horse is a shadow of his former self, who ran his butt off for Bob, but Bob doesn’t think that over $600,000 is enough to give this horse a decent retirement.
Anybody who keeps up on the scene at Woodbine knows that they are having trouble filling many races, or if they fill, they are running 5 and 6 horse fields with the upper level races being dominated by about 6 Trainers who get all the stall allocations, and access to supporting personnel.
There have been stake races worth over $100,000 with 5 and 6 horse fields all compliments of the Ontario taxpayer, the person who makes $10 per hour is supporting 5 horses winning $100,000.
So what does this have to do with racehorses possibly breaking down and/or dying?
When any racetrack is having trouble filling races, then the pressure always comes down on the racehorses.
When Trainers see small fields, and big purse money then racehorses will be entered despite the obvious need for retirement.
I don’t know the condition of this racehorse, but he has well-earned his safe retirement.
Gina, I’ve been reading about Little Mike, as well. The most recent PR article about where he ran 5th (his “heart wasn’t in it”…that was per either his owner or trainer – oh really?!?!) had SUCH “interesting” quotes in the article AND comments in the comment section! What just infuriates me is why LM is deserving of retirement, according to these commenting apologists – because he’s a multi-millionaire. So just how much money must the horse make before he/she DESERVES to be retired? – how much money? how old? how many starts? Isn’t running something they LOVE? Isn’t running GOOD for their musculoskeletal system? Aren’t they bored and depressed when they are retired and leave the track? These people talk out of both sides of their mouths…
Thank you,Gina. No doubt Little Mike is a gelding so they’ll race him until they get the last drop of blood out of him. It is beyond belief that after suffering a serious injury and 2 years out AND earned more than $3.5million that they’re forcing him to race again. Pure greed. And no respect for the horse’s welfare one iota!
SICK, SICK, SICK
This is horseracing, folks!
“Indicting Themselves”- let me count the ways !!
Bringing back this 9 year old high profile horse with millions in earnings after a serious injury is pure genus at “self indictment”.
These people just can’t see past the $ signs. They are beyond stupid and just plain don’t give a damn about the horse.
Another thing, anytime they take care of the horse on the track it is only to increase the possibility of bringing in money.
They lie to themselves, they live the delusion that they actually “care,” but their actions speak much louder than words.
It’s the racehorses that don’t have words, don’t have a voice, but their action results in dying in the dirt for $2 bets in many cases – almost on a daily basis.
This is so sad.