Tap the Wire fatally injured while winning at Los Alamitos

LOS ALAMITOS (CNS) | May 24, 2020 — A racehorse who survived the devastating 2017 Lilac Fire that killed 46 horses at San Luis Rey Downs reportedly died from injuries he suffered while winning a race at the Los Alamitos Race Course earlier this month.

Tap the Wire, who scored $11,800 in prize money in a quarterhorse race on May 9 with jockey Mauro Donoe on his back, was euthanized, track announcer Michael Wrona confirmed late Saturday.

Video of the race shows Tap the Wire appearing to injure his right front leg a few yards before the finish line.Replying to a Twitter user who asked if Tap the Wire had been euthanized, Wrona tweeted “Unfortunately, he was.”

Tap the Wire is not listed on the California Horse Racing Board’s May report of fatalities at Los Alamitos.

“This horse shipped into Los Alamitos to race from the San Luis Rey Downs training center,” Mike Marten, public information officer for the CHRB, told City News Service. “After the race, this horse was shipped from Los Alamitos to a clinic near San Luis Rey Downs for treatment.”

At least 14 horses have died at the Cypress track in racing or training-related incidents during this race season, which began in late December. Read full report » See Equibase listing »

We say

Horse racing is running with on track personnel and jockeys present only. No spectators. Racing continues its grisly, deadly so called “sport” to give gamblers something to bet on and make money from it. Without gamblers racing would die instead of horses.

Kill racing not horses.

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