Killer racing hall of famers

Introduction

It is the trainers, on behalf of the owners, who push racehorses to win at any cost, including with their lives. Who are the biggest killer trainers? That is still being fought out. So we decided to check out who are some of the biggest killer trainers who have been inducted into its National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. As you see, there is absolutely no shame in horse racing. They actually honor their killers.

• Hollendorfer

One hundred twenty-two (122) horses have been killed by Racing Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Hollendorfer. That number makes him the trainer with the most horse deaths in California. Four of these deaths occurred within a six-month period at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia (which has since banned him) reported PeTA on 6th Aug 2021.

The now 75-year old Hollendorfer was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2011.

• Baffert

Seventy-four (74) horses have been killed in Bob Baffert’s care in California since 2000, reports PETA on 8th June 2021. Baffert has also racked up more than 30 drug violations during that time. Baffert was suspended by Churchill Downs for 2 years after Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a second drug test.

Baffert was nominated and inducted to the Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.

More on him at, The dark side of Bob Baffert’s reign, Washington Post, 18th June 2021, a must read.

• Pletcher

Throughout his career, Todd Pletcher—who will be inducted in the 2021 ceremony—has left a trail of bodies behind him. Since 2010, 32 horses he trained in New York have been killed, and he has also been fined a number of times for drug violations, reported PeTA on 6th Aug 2021.

“I’m really humbled to be elected to the Hall of Fame. It’s an incredible honor,” Pletcher said. “Training horses is all I ever wanted to do. I remember being 11 or 12 and telling my mom I wanted to train and she said it was wonderful. From that point on with her endorsement I never thought of doing anything else.”

Too bad for the horses Pletcher ever got a job in racing. Read about the heartbreaking death of Left Bank following multiple surgeries for colic as reported by ESPN. Left Bank won 14 of his 24 starts with total purse earnings of $1,402,805. Yet this is what they did.

Help end it

We have devised a campaign to end horse racing in the US. It will be more of a labor intensive campaign than a high cost campaign, but we still need to fund it.

Most of our campaign dollars were spent during the early spread of the pandemic when horse owners and rescues were unexpectedly hit hard and struggling mightily. We put many of our campaign dollars into action for them.

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Please make a donation to help us rebuild our “war chest,” funds which will be put to work to achieve a ban on horse slaughter. Thank you for your trust and support.

THF

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