Racehorse Injuries

[Bast]

Good News in Kentucky on Racing Safety
by Ron Mitchell
Date Posted: 3/14/2012 4:30:51 PM
Last Updated: 3/15/2012 11:02:46 AM

When Dr. Mary Scollay, equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, gave her monthly report at the March 14 meeting, it showed only one fatality since Dec. 1 at Turfway Park, the only track in the state conducting live racing during the period.

According to Scollay, the one fatality occurred in December and was followed by two months—January and February—in which no which horses died during races over the track’s artificial Polytrack surface. Scollay said that equated to one fatality for the 4,532 starts recorded at the track during the three-month period. The national catastrophic injury rate is about two horses per 1,000 starts.

Scollay attributed the safe racing to a collaborative effort on the part of Turfway Park management, horsemen, veterinarians working at the track in Northern Kentucky, and the KHRC’s veterinary staff that conducts pre-race inspections.

She said the numbers were even more impressive considering that the holiday/winter meet at the track is conducted at a time of the year when fluctuating weather conditions can result in inconsistency in the track surface, and also in light of the economic challenges facing Turfway and other tracks.

“There could have been more pressure placed on the remaining (horse) population, resulting in the over-racing of the fit or the racing of the unfit, both scenarios associated with increased risk of injury,” Scollay said, noting the decline in horses at the track that could have impacted decisions by management and horsemen. “Corners could have been cut, but weren’t. So through some of the most challenging times facing racing, a collaborative effort resulted in an astounding safety rate.”

Polytrack was first installed at Turfway Park in fall 2005 and at Keeneland in fall 2006. According to figures released by Scollay, fatalities at all Kentucky Thoroughbred tracks fell from 40 in 2007 to 27 in 2012, with a low of 26 in 2010.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/68083/good-news-in-kentucky-on-racing-safety/print

Does anyone know the name of the euthanized horse?

[Bast]

Bast

I think we should attempt to have some kind of format to use, and assign tracks to people to eliminate double work. I know van offs will be difficult, however the information will be as reliable as it can be. This is no small task we are attempting to take on and organization should be paramount prior to collecting data. Here is a suggested format.

14MAR12 9th race Aqueduct inner dirt track, Clmng 15K, 6F, fast track
Hillsboro Bay, filly 2008, 9 starts 3-1-2
Trainer: Michael Miceli
Broke down, vanned off, euthanized.
Source: Equibase chart and PQ data entry.
DDT


DDT

check your email

[Bast]

The following horses suffered some sort of distress at Charles Town during January-February-March (to date). Many of them broke down and likely were euthanized, but I have no information.

If you have additional information, please share.

Backbar With Tammy
Belle Valee
Big City Mamma
Brady Baby
Cape Tribulation
Consolidated Gold
Day Flight
Devilish Beauty
Di Colas Town
Disclosure
Duchess of Windsor
Flaming Tap
Freddy Bear
Gallant Guy
Gift of Valor
Go Emma Go
Goldy Song
Jill the Pill
Little Amy
Littlewinged
Love Fever
Love N Honey
Maxivision
Molinaro Secreto
My Girl Marie
Shameeka
Sounds Freudian
True Rebel
Under Contract
Valued Trust
Wild Mambo

[Shammy Davis]

While breakdowns occurred in nearly the same spot on the track in consecutive races, Wright believes the track was safe.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/racing ... races.aspx

Back in 2004, there was a great deal of concern about the 3/4 mile surface.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Does PQ evernhave any info? Under the specific horse name?

Mob Wife and Suave N Sassy both went down yesterday at the Duck, but according to Bloodhorse, neither 'appeared' to suffer serious injury. eg:

MOB WIFE (USA) b. F, 2009 DP = 1-1-4-0-0 (6) DI = 2.00 CD = 0.50 - 3 Starts, 1 Wins, 0 Places, 1 Shows Career Earnings: $24,000

Owner: W. D. North Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Thomas-Narlinger LLC & A R Properties
State Bred: NY
Winnings: 3 Starts: 1 - 0 - 1, $24,000

Won debut 18Dec11 Aqueduct 6f NY-bred MSW.
Fell just before the finish of Race 8 at Aqueduct on 3-18-2012. Reported to be uninjured, but was Vanned off.

[Bast]

Does PQ evernhave any info? Under the specific horse name?

Mob Wife and Suave N Sassy both went down yesterday at the Duck, but according to Bloodhorse, neither 'appeared' to suffer serious injury. eg:

MOB WIFE (USA) b. F, 2009 DP = 1-1-4-0-0 (6) DI = 2.00 CD = 0.50 - 3 Starts, 1 Wins, 0 Places, 1 Shows Career Earnings: $24,000

Owner: W. D. North Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Thomas-Narlinger LLC & A R Properties
State Bred: NY
Winnings: 3 Starts: 1 - 0 - 1, $24,000

Won debut 18Dec11 Aqueduct 6f NY-bred MSW.
Fell just before the finish of Race 8 at Aqueduct on 3-18-2012. Reported to be uninjured, but was Vanned off.

I checked most of them in PQ, and there was no additional information. A lot of these horses were listed in the charts as breaking down.

So far, I've gone through Aqueduct, Beulah, and Charles Town charts for Jan-Feb-March. The attrition rate is appalling.

(Collaborators welcomed...)

[ElPrado]

I've always regarded Charlestown and Beulah as pretty much "end of the road" type tracks. The horses tend to be patched up and poorly prepared bottom level for their price range claimers.

[Bast]

I've always regarded Charlestown and Beulah as pretty much "end of the road" type tracks. The horses tend to be patched up and poorly prepared bottom level for their price range claimers.

I'm going through the Equibase listed tracks alphabetically.

That said, Aqueduct's inner winter track is a horror show when you start reading all the charts.

Every croaked horse is part of a public perception problem--so this is well worth looking at.

[ElPrado]

At least this is better that someone we know cherry picking horses as to what he ate for breakfast.

[Monsun]

The following horses suffered some sort of distress at Charles Town during January-February-March (to date). Many of them broke down and likely were euthanized, but I have no information.

If you have additional information, please share.

Backbar With Tammy
Belle Valee
Big City Mamma
Brady Baby
Cape Tribulation
Consolidated Gold
Day Flight
Devilish Beauty
Di Colas Town
Disclosure
Duchess of Windsor
Flaming Tap
Freddy Bear
Gallant Guy
Gift of Valor
Go Emma Go
Goldy Song
Jill the Pill
Little Amy
Littlewinged
Love Fever
Love N Honey
Maxivision
Molinaro Secreto ---PER EQUIBASE WORKED 2/10/12
My Girl Marie --- PER EQUIBASE WORKED 3/10/12
Shameeka
Sounds Freudian
True Rebel
Under Contract
Valued Trust
Wild Mambo

If you haven't yet, you might want to check Jockey Club death reports. Of course absence of death report doesn't necessarily mean the horse is still alive.

[Bast]

The following horses suffered some sort of distress at Charles Town during January-February-March (to date). Many of them broke down and likely were euthanized, but I have no information.

If you have additional information, please share.

Backbar With Tammy
Belle Valee
Big City Mamma
Brady Baby
Cape Tribulation
Consolidated Gold
Day Flight
Devilish Beauty
Di Colas Town
Disclosure
Duchess of Windsor
Flaming Tap
Freddy Bear
Gallant Guy
Gift of Valor
Go Emma Go
Goldy Song
Jill the Pill
Little Amy
Littlewinged
Love Fever
Love N Honey
Maxivision
Molinaro Secreto ---PER EQUIBASE WORKED 2/10/12
My Girl Marie --- PER EQUIBASE WORKED 3/10/12
Shameeka
Sounds Freudian
True Rebel
Under Contract
Valued Trust
Wild Mambo

If you haven't yet, you might want to check Jockey Club death reports. Of course absence of death report doesn't necessarily mean the horse is still alive.

Thanks for the updates. Are the death reports online? I could not find them at the JC site.

[Monsun]

The following horses suffered some sort of distress at Charles Town during January-February-March (to date). Many of them broke down and likely were euthanized, but I have no information.

If you have additional information, please share.

Backbar With Tammy
Belle Valee
Big City Mamma
Brady Baby
Cape Tribulation
Consolidated Gold
Day Flight
Devilish Beauty
Di Colas Town
Disclosure
Duchess of Windsor
Flaming Tap
Freddy Bear
Gallant Guy
Gift of Valor
Go Emma Go
Goldy Song
Jill the Pill
Little Amy
Littlewinged
Love Fever
Love N Honey
Maxivision
Molinaro Secreto ---PER EQUIBASE WORKED 2/10/12
My Girl Marie --- PER EQUIBASE WORKED 3/10/12
Shameeka
Sounds Freudian
True Rebel
Under Contract
Valued Trust
Wild Mambo

If you haven't yet, you might want to check Jockey Club death reports. Of course absence of death report doesn't necessarily mean the horse is still alive.

Thanks for the updates. Are the death reports online? I could not find them at the JC site.

I gather they are online, but you have to have a log in with the JC. Sent you a pm.

[cewright]

I have not checked the tracks that have night racing, but for daytime tracks today I saw two horses that were eased and walked off the track at Fair Grounds and Unanimous Consent brokedown in the 1st race a Laurel and Fiery Footwork pulled up and was vanned off in the 5th race at Laurel. Have we decided what information we are going to record and who is going to record it?

DDT

I wanted to comment on the difficulty of relying on charts to extract data on injuries. Yesterday, my horse was eased in the third race at WRD. Chart said he "bolted and was eased". Whatever the problem turns out to be it is not catastrophic. He was examined by the state vet after the race and was sound.

[Bast]

I have not checked the tracks that have night racing, but for daytime tracks today I saw two horses that were eased and walked off the track at Fair Grounds and Unanimous Consent brokedown in the 1st race a Laurel and Fiery Footwork pulled up and was vanned off in the 5th race at Laurel. Have we decided what information we are going to record and who is going to record it?

DDT

I wanted to comment on the difficulty of relying on charts to extract data on injuries. Yesterday, my horse was eased in the third race at WRD. Chart said he "bolted and was eased". Whatever the problem turns out to be it is not catastrophic. He was examined by the state vet after the race and was sound.

I'm not including horses eased because of veering out, refusing to run, being distanced, or avoiding a fallen rider or horse.

I am including individuals pulled up/eased in mid-race "entering the backstretch", any horse vanned off.

Horses with relatively minor issues will most likely show up with later published works/races, which I am noting as well.

[griff]

The "eased" part of "pulled-up/eased in mid race" could be a flipped palate.

griff