4 horses die in 5 days at Colonial Downs track!

[Duppers]

Four horses die over five days of racing at Colonial Downs

By the Associated Press

July 8, 2007

NEW KENT, Va. -- Four horses died over five days of racing at Colonial Downs, track officials said.

"It's unfortunate that these incidents happen," said Iain Woolnough, vice president and general manager at Colonial Downs. "There are many, many reasons for it. We're upset when it happens, but it's just part of the racing game."

Two horses were put down after separate races Friday night.

Afleet Lulu took a spill during the sixth race when her sesamoid bones disintegrated, causing the ankle to dislocate and cut off the blood supply to the lower foot, said C. Richard Harden, the Virginia Racing Commission's state veterinarian. The horse was euthanized on the track; her rider, Anna Napravnik, suffered a broken wrist and finger.

Earlier Friday, Poppy's Image was put down after finishing the fourth race and pulling up lame. He was taken to the barn by ambulance and later euthanized.

Harden said the horse had surgery on the sesamoid bone on his ankle in the past and that the surgical spot broke down and caused the bone to separate from the ligament.

"It was one of those things where there was too much damage in there to be able to repair it," Harden said.

On July 1, Ready to Rock was euthanized after falling over a jump in a steeplechase race. The following day, Emmanellie died of an apparent heart attack during a race.

Harden said the deaths are more than the track, which opened in 1997, usually experiences. Six horses died last year, which was "without a doubt, our worst meet ever."

"We've had some meets where we've lost more and some where we've not lost as many," he said.

Thoroughbred racing continues at the track through Aug. 7.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-rac--colonialdowns-de0708jul08,0,1988198.story

Disgusting!

Comments to this story were interesting and some very good. I'm so glad some people know the true story and support all-out bans on racing.