PETA Wants Saratoga Track Shut as Horse Deaths Hit 14

Just like Maple Leaf Mel’s horrific damage however much more stunning, the demise of New York Thunder at Saratoga race course locations intense stress on the US horse racing business. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Business below scrutiny

A swathe of what officers are calling inexplicable horse deaths has swept the US horse racing business since Could, putting the sector below extreme scrutiny. This worsened over the weekend when New York Thunder suffered a stunning deadly fracture of the left entrance fetlock at New York’s Saratoga Race Course.

shut it down now”

On Sunday, requires officers to “shut it down now” got here from US animal rights large PETA. The physique shared a video by way of X of New York Thunder’s nightmare damage on the Saratoga course:

Officers euthanized the beforehand undefeated three-year-old on observe, including extra tragedy to a day of racing that had already resulted within the demise of Nobel in a separate race. Because of this, the demise toll for the reason that Saratoga meet began on July 13 has risen to 14. There are two weeks left of the racing season.

A pall over celebrations

The $1.25m Travers Stakes, which happened on Saturday, was a possibility for Saratoga Springs to host the racing group for what’s unofficially often known as the NY metropolis’s Midsummer Derby.

nonetheless in shock at what they noticed earlier”

Regardless of the celebration within the winner’s circle for Travers Stakes victor Arcangelo and his trailblazing coach Jena Antonucci, the LA Occasions reported that folks at Saratoga Race Course had been “nonetheless in shock at what they noticed earlier.”

Thunder’s damage evoked reminiscences of Maple Leaf Mel’s fall simply three weeks in the past whereas over a size forward and mere yards from the end line. The three-year-old gray filly was euthanized.

Saratoga isn’t the one course that has seen a current spate of deaths. Racing is because of resume at Churchill Downs in Kentucky subsequent month following an investigation into a number of horse deaths. 12 horses died in only one month on the observe within the build-up to the 2023 Kentucky Derby.

HISA will get concerned

Not solely are animal rights activists like PETA attacking the New York Racing Affiliation-owned Saratoga race course, the Horseracing Integrity and Security Authority (HISA) has additionally began a probe into the observe. Following public outcry over Mel, HISA began its probe into Saratoga on August 7.  

as much as the observe to research.”

In line with the Occasions, nevertheless, a day later, a HISA spokesperson gave conflicting responses to the publication’s questions concerning the Mel probe. The spokesperson made no mention of the HISA investigation into the horse’s demise, whereas additionally stating “it was as much as the observe to research.”