Four race horses die in opening weekend at Rillito Racetrack

[Ptah]

TUCSON (KVOA) - Four race horses died in 2022 meet's first weekend of racing at Tucson's famed horse track, Rillito Park.

"You know what, it's sadness you don't get over," Rillito Racetrack General Manager Mike Weiss said. "But I'm excited for next weekend."

According to the Rillito Racing Management Team, two horses broke down after racing, another died in an accident in the saddle area and another died of natural causes.

Weiss has been in horse racing for more than 40 years. He believes Rillito is a safe track.

https://www.kvoa.com/news/four-race-horses-die-in-opening-weekend-at-rillito-racetrack/article_1b496a52-9ab5-11ec-b980-e356df3fb5a2.html

[PortTack]

1. It's not a "sport" anymore. It's abuse

[carpetbagger]

2. "it's sadness you don't get over...but I'm excited about next weekend"

Wow. RL vs The Onion, Sports Report

[Ziggysmom]

3. "Break down" is used to describe a horse who has snapped its own bones while forced to run,

all for the sole purpose of entertaining and enriching human beings.

END HORSE RACING NOW

[Backseat Driver]

4. I really don't know where to ask, but

if art is being used to wash Russian money, is it possible that horse racing/breeding is another avenue for oligarchs hiding wealth through shell corporations??? I briefly looked through a few google hits and learned there was a family breeder in Arizona, a Repub, that apparently had clients in Poland because the family re-created a certain horse line w/Arabian blood as well, so why not Russia? Don't oligarchs have stables and compete in-country and globally?

Just wondered...I recall how a certain "family" awakened an "uncooperative" movie producer with a "message" in the movies...

[Ptah]

5. Officials: 3 more horses die at Rillito Racetrack, bringing season total up to 7

Three more horses have died at Rillito Park Racetrack over the last several weeks, bringing the total for the season's first four weeks up to seven.

And although track officials say they're taking extra precautions and pulling more horses from races this season than ever before, the Rillito deaths — plus 24 at Phoenix's Turf Paradise — have led animal rights advocates to call on officials to suspend horse racing in the state.

“Although racing can never be entirely safe for horses, simple changes could prevent countless fatal breakdowns,” Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president for the People for Ethical Treatment of Animal, said in a Friday news release.

Last month, PETA sent a letter to the Arizona Department of Gaming Division of Racing requesting racing be suspended immediately at Turf Paradise until CT scanning equipment is installed to detect pre-existing injuries.

https://tucson.com/sports/local/officials-3-more-horses-die-at-rillito-racetrack-bringing-season-total-up-to-7/article_b7b9dc2c-abb9-11ec-bb88-87075a5754b6.html