Cross-posted from New York Times
Written by WALT BOGDANICH and REBECCA R. RUIZ
Horse dead in the dirt in New Mexico. Photo: Jakob Schiller. Image not filed with NYT report.
“A horse [who] recently tested positive for a supercharged painkiller drawn from a type of South American frog broke down and was euthanized Thursday at a New Mexico racetrack after winning a trial heat for the coming All American Futurity, one of the world’s richest horse races.
“The horse, Jess A Zoomin, was one of eight New Mexico quarter horses that tested positive for the painkiller dermorphin on the same day in late May. All were running in an earlier round of trial heats to earn the right to advance to the Futurity, which has a purse of more than $2 million.
“The dead horse’s trainer, Jeffrey Heath Reed, is accused of doping five of those horses. But he has been allowed to continue training — and vying to win the Futurity on Labor Day — after exercising his right to verify the state’s positive tests at a second laboratory.
“A second horse that Reed trained, which had not tested positive for dermorphin, also broke down and was euthanized Thursday during another trial heat for the Futurity. Reed declined to comment.” Read full report >>
U.S. horse racing needs to be brought to a complete halt. It has failed in every way it can except by making millions while maiming, crippling and killing racehorses. For those who defend it claiming it is not all bad, that is simply not good enough. We encourage everyone to boycott it, particularly gamblers. Bettors, find something else to bet on. Together maybe we can maim, cripple and kill U.S. horse racing. –Ed.
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The waxy monkey tree frog and drugging of racehorses; Tuesday’s Horse; Jul. 15, 2012
disgusting… Stop it!
Again…selfish, greedy questionable ‘humans’ do it again. Heartbreaking
I am holding back a VOLCANO of profanity. This MUST stop. Why is institutionalized cruelty to animals so accepted? I’m with you, Kathy, I’m sickened by “humans.”
You need to remember that not all trainers and owners are bad. And horse racing is a wonderful sport that the horses love to do. This one idiot who needs to be hanged is giving us all bad names. But try to remember that most of us love our horses way too much to risk their lives with drugs
We know that not every trainer and owner is bad; but we also know that it is not just “one idiot”. Far from it. Horse racing is entrenched in the type of wrong thinking that leads to abuse, cruelty and death. If most of you indeed love your horses too much …. then this would not be happening at the scale that it is. We can no longer sit back and watch and wait. It must stop now.
I could throw up for sure, WHY IS HE STILL ALLOWED TO TRAIN.
AQHA’s silence is deafening. They must be the most evilest people.
They are no worse than the Thoroughbred racing industry, but agree Ziggy, where are they now? Cowards. Sit round conference tables and make decisions and rules with no enforceable power and say that’s the best we can do. I would be embarrassed if I were they.
HORRIBLE, I want to know, too, WHY he is still allowed to train? R.I.P. JESS A ZOOMIN. FLY FREE
All horse racing in the US should be banned until there are reportable, transparent and humane assurances that these lofty animals are not continuing to be sacrificed soley to quench human greed and avarice.