Breeder's Cup, Ravishly, Deborah Jones

Exceller & Willie Shoemaker

Today is the biggest Day in Horse Racing..The 29th Breeders Cup at Santa Anita Park in California…it is running as I write.

Broadcast around the world, millions of viewers tune in to watch the worlds top thoroughbreds vie for million dollar prizes.

I too am tuned in, but not with anywhere near the naivety or enthusiasm  I once had for horse racing ...

Watching the Kentucky Derby -- the first leg of the triple crown -- 41 years ago ... I fell head over heels in love with the sport of kings as I watched a little brown horse from South America charge to victory in the 1971 Run For The Roses.

CANONERO II

Some years later I had the joy of meeting the my TV idol  Canonero II face-to-face at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, KY. During that visit I also met John Gaines, the visionary behind the Breeders’ Cup we see today.

My family owned shares in stallions at Gainesway including my personal favorite, the late great EXCELLER -- a victor in major stakes over the Santa Anita Course with Willie Shoemaker in the irons. Later in his life a casualty of slaughter.

Repeat visits to Gainesway and the surrounding iconic farms solidified my resolve to spend my life with thoroughbreds. I thought the career of a trainer or veterinarian to be noble pursuits….both front line caregivers..to the most beautiful creature on earth. 

Seeing thoroughbreds living at glorious bluegrass farms impressed me as to how well horses were treated…, and why wouldn't they be? Look at the amazing lifestyle they afforded their owners. I was young, naive, and quite impressionable.

What I didn't know  then… I know now. 

Never in my worst nightmare did I imagine that which I have recently learned people will do to horses. 

In my own zeal to share the "good" about racing – I brought you interviews with top racing people that I really, really believed had the best interest of their horses at heart. In the years since then I have learned, first hand, quite the opposite….and for that my friends, I apologize.

I believe adults should hold themselves accountable for failure.


Owners and trainers willing to sacrifice horse care for the sake of a win, or ship a horse out-of-state to an unknown destiny have contributed to an overwhelming problem in the racing world….the grotesque and inhumane butchering of America’s  thoroughbreds.

Many related in pedigree to the magnificent horses we see gracing our TVs today at the Breeder's Cup.

Whether dying on the track or in a slaughterhouse, the fact of the matter is -- the majority of American thoroughbreds are sent away on long torturous trips over US highways to Mexico and Canada. Terrified in a foreign land their skull is crudely fractured and their sinewy bodies hung  upside down by a hind leg to bleed out. According to USDA inspectors, some are still alive while being cut apart.

Rendering and processing it is not – it is an excruciating, horrific death. The journey begins in the breeding shed and ends at an auction -- ALL on American soil.

In my opinion .. if not acknowledged, addressed and  rectified with real solutions --- this will be the end of horse racing… and so it should be.

Overbreeding is the genesis of this train-wreck, and excessive drugging at the racetrack piles on even more innocent victims. Recently among them, RAVISHLY, a resident NY mare, owned throughout her career by IEAH Stable who purchased her for $75,000 as a two-year-old.

RAVISHLY did all that was asked of her on the racetrack and in the breeding shed. Upon retirement from the IEAH broodmare band, she became a "giveaway". No protection, no PENSION, no follow-up, and compounding the offense .... no names.

RAVISHLY at SARATOGA GLEN FARM

RAVISHLY was butchered the morning after she sold for $50 to a meat packing plant through an auction in Unadilla, NY. The same NY promoting and incentivizing more breeding without an effective and safe retirement plan for its equine participants.

RAVISHLY produced five foals for her owner IEAH. As the breeder, they may collect state-bred awards up to 30% of prizes earned by each offspring. WHAT A NICE RETIREMENT FUND THIS COULD HAVE PROVIDED FOR RAVISHLY.

California-based Deborah Jones revealed the plight of RAVISHLY on her facebook page, "emaciated, and injured from barbed wire, Ravishly was once again wearing a hip tag but this time there was no announcement promoting her bloodlines, progeny, race earnings not even her name....known ONLY as hip # 0715".

Deborah Jones is a first-responder on the front lines in kill pens. She saves dispirited and forgotten horses from the ultimate betrayal. Each of whom were once the apple of someone's eye. Now Deborah is their only hope.

Journalist Joe Drape featured the work of Deborah Jones in Friday's edition of the New York Times. She is a hero to every horse on death row and to those who do truly love thoroughbreds.  

So, on racing's biggest day, as winners celebrate their new found millions and championship honors, I mourn for the hundreds-of-thousands left in their wake. 

May there be a heaven for horses, Susan.

Related Links:

Exceller's Story: http://www.excellerfund.org/

Ravishly: http://www.ieah.com/cgi-bin/photo_gallery2.cgi?gallery=1000006

Ravishly and her foals at Saratoga Glen Farm: http://www.saratogaglenfarm.com/Ravishly.htm

NY Times Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/sports/rescuing-racehorses-from-slaughter-as-industry-bides-its-time.html?pagewanted=all

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New York Horse Racing & AIA Press Conference

This video is of the New York Horse Racing and Agricultural Industry Alliance press conference in its entirety from the Capitol Building on October 16, 2012. The purpose of the press conference was to  release the Economic Impact study conducted by the group which reveals that the horse serves as a "job creator" in New York and is responsible for billions of dollars of commerce.

My question is… what does this mean for the horse…?

New York will have a  huge number of unwanted horses in the state unless it FIRST addresses the drug abuse that takes place on racetracks and a comprehensive solution to care for horses bred in the state that have an average life span of 25 years after they retire from racing.

Racehorses that are subjected to multiple injections and painkillers leaves most limited as to their usefulness in second careers. The reason being, chips, stress fractures, arthritis, tendonitis, and a myriad of other ailments that trainers and veterinarians refer to as "racing sound" will not equate to soundness for other less stressful disciplines. It is absurd that the same veterinarians that administer joint injections and painkillers for a horse to race, will not pass that same horse on a vet exam for a simpler easier life. It is a backward system leaving the innocent horse as its victim.

The revenue from the VLTs that is increasing prize money and breeders awards serves as incentive to race unsound horses and breed without any measure of quality or control. Currently, 70% of the American thoroughbred crop ends up in slaughter....what is to stop this in NY?

The reality is there is no effective aftercare program in place that addresses thousands of horses that fall through the cracks from the time they retire from racing.

Please share your thoughts and comments…

CLICK TITLE TO VIEW: LIVE GOV. CUOMO TASK FORCE REPORT on NYRA Aqueduct breakdowns

Aqueduct Racing Officials Faulted in Horse Deaths - NYTimes.com

I was delighted to learn that Gov. Cuomo's task force investigation will be leading to some reform of pain-masking drug use  and clenbuterol abuse on the backstretch. What they uncovered validated what I went through with Bourbon Bandit.

So...here is an x-ray of Bourbon Bandit's knee in which he broke a bone (the equine knee has 5 bones) racing at Aqueduct on November 5, 2011. His breakdown went unreported by NYSRWB, when I inquired why?,  I was told, "because he was not vanned off the track". I am still trying to find out what Bourbon Bandit was racing on that he did not feel the pain of a broken bone until two days later.....???

In today's NY Times article, Aqueduct Racing Officials Faulted in Horse Deaths, Howard B. Glaser, Mr. Cuomo’s director of state operations, said in an interview, “At the New York Racing Association, concern for the health of the horses finished a distant second to economics”.

CLICK TO READ ARTICLE IN NY TIMES

...Thank you Gov. Cuomo for caring enough about horses to be the change that they need to see. These changes are a step in the right direction.

I stepped up and out about the abuse to my horse Bandit suffered...how many others are out there? Do you care enough to speak up? Please comment and share your thoughts, Susan.

Bourbon Bandit update...

At the Track, Racing Economics Collide With Veterinarians’ Oath - NYTimes.com

This is a groundbreaking piece about the ethical dilemma veterinarians face when working on racehorse.

I had the privilege of contributing Bandit's story. He is one of the lucky ones.

As always, I'd value your thoughts and feedback, Susan.

At the Track, Racing Economics Collide With Veterinarians’ Oath - NYTimes.com

Hello Friends, I was blessed to have had the great privilege of contributing to this article as a voice for Bourbon Bandit and owners throughout this country. Bandit represents the majority of horses racing in America… An average claiming horse. It is my goal that in this information being brought public a positive change will result for racehorses. Please read this article and please share your comments and feedback. With thanks and appreciation for your time, Susan.

At the Track, Racing Economics Collide With Veterinarians’ Oath - NYTimes.com

Deputed Testamony, who gave all that he had | Daily Racing Form

This my friends is how racing SHOULD be. Only with love, care and reverence for the horse, as demonstrated by the Boniface Family will horse racing continue. Without total regard the horse first and foremost, the horse racing industry will cease to exist.

Deputed Testamony, who gave all that he had | Daily Racing Form

Frankel TV Commercial

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THE BEST HORSE IN THE WORLD

AND HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED IT ALL

DRUG-FREE & NO LASIX!

Facebook Facelift for UR Stable

Team Unbridled Racing just got a little tweak on Facebook so if you get a chance give UR  favorite stable a Like.  Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/UnbridledRacing

Team Unbridled Racing's "Speedy" getting close to a race at the Spa! 

Thoroughbred Retirement....why it's the right thing to do!

Friends, This was a big blow to our tiny racing program.

I hope our decision serves to inspire other owners

to do the right thing with their horses.

If you have had a similar experience,

please share your comments.

As always, I greatly value your feedback, Susan.

UR Horse Report

Clint and Speedy making progress at beautiful Belmont Park! On Wednesday, both getting comfy in their new surroundings and training well, see videos...

UR Stable has a few partnership interests available in horses of racing age. 

Email for details and own a racehorse today 1.877.WINS.BIG 

Trainer calls for tighter control of medication in racing

Trainer calls for tighter control of medication in racing : PostStar.com - Glens Falls, Saratoga, Lake George NY area news

A man after my own heart...Thank you Mr. Prine for speaking up for the well-being of thoroughbreds.

Susan & The Team at Unbridled Racing

Saratoga: A Happy Place for RaceHorses

Maintaining physical fitness is imperative for a racehorse, so too is exercising the mind, especially in juveniles. Once accustomed to track routines, young horses bounce from stall to track like energetic Little Leaguers running from Mom’s car to the practice field.

However, horses, like kids, will get bored if they do the same thing day-after-day. Science shows mental fatigue takes a toll on performance -- depleting even the most enthusiastic players. A bored horse will begin exhibiting vices from cribbing, weaving, and stall walking to a sour attitude. All work and no play is as tough on our four-legged friends as us.

On the farm, UR horses work 6-days a week, on the 7th they frolic about the pastures from sunrise to dusk, as in today’s video. Training on the farm is a more natural atmosphere for horses than at the racetrack. Lengthy walks to and from gallops, daily turn-out before and after works, and familiarity with other horses are akin to the comfort of home gym.

Other than Fair Hill, most racing facilities don’t have ample space to create paddocks, turn-out, or bridle paths. Rather they are built for efficiency to accommodate 1000’s of horses and people getting on and off the track in about 5 hours on any given morning. That is the hectic pace we strive to prepare our horses to endure; it is a lot the equine mind to handle. Like our kids entering the real world work force -- it is scary, we worry for them, because we love them. The conflict for horse lovers like myself is that we know how much horses need their freedom to be happy and healthy.

In my opinion, the next best place to the farm and Fair Hill, is surely The Oklahoma Training Track in Saratoga.The well-groomed Saratoga ovals provide pristine surfaces to attain the level of fitness necessary for racing, and the refreshing atmosphere rejuvenates the senses.

Training hours, usually between 6AM and 11AM, dictate the protocol trainers must develop to get horses out for work, cooled out, and safely back in the shedrow. Adapting to nearly 23-hours-a-day in a stall is not easy for any freedom-loving animal. Such a life is in visceral denial of their desire to roam the range. Saratoga brings a balance to these opposing forces and even the most super fit equine athletes seem to take a deep breath and truly enjoy the rarified air between Union, East, and Fifth Avenues.

To those on the NYRA circuit, Saratoga offers a reprieve from the logistical demands of functioning at a big city track. It is a mecca, for horses and humans. Every trainer I have interviewed emphatically states, “horses love Saratoga, they blossom, they eat, they train better”. Walking about the grounds, horses can be seen grazing in green spots, sauntering through big pines, and rolling and bucking in little turn-out pens adjacent to their quarters. Nick Zito has been training horses early each spring at the Oklahoma track for more than a dozen years, he told the Saratogian, “we’ve trained Belmont Stakes and Jockey Gold Cup winners here. Now the word’s out. It’s not a secret any more. It’s probably the best training facility in the world.”

Clint and The Wild Girls will soon move from the life they've known for nearly three years on the farm, into their careers as racehorses. They love to run, and I believe they are prepared for the job ahead. Moving to Saratoga will be a big step for them, and the true test of our schooling at the farm.

Clint Eastwood & Wild Siren

Clint E. and Wild Siren on the training track. Both progressing well.

Click here to read more about Clint's sire MUSTANFAR.

Watch Wild Siren's sire WILD DESERT will his way to victory in the 
Classic Queen's Plate in 2005 at Woodbine.

Casner: A Hero For Horses....

No Salix, No Bleeding = Competitive Edge:

Source: www.ThoroughbredTimes.com TODAY

Breaking Down Data & Drugs....a Holistic View

The recent article in the NY Times was a long overdue wake-up call to ALL thoroughbred horse industry participants. Thank you Joe Drape et al.

Breakdowns, catastrophic, and career ending injuries, have long gone unreported to the general public unless captured on camera during a major broadcast.

Thankfully, the NYSRWB has responded to this new found public awareness by making previously veiled industry reports readily available.

The Equine Breakdown, Death, Injury and Incident Database, and the Racing and Wagering Board Ruling Database are new resources for owners to investigate trainers and make informed decisions. Had this information been available in the past, I for one, would have selected different trainers to handle my beloved horses.

Over the past month, I have interviewed several trainers. I am abhorred by the number of prominent names who openly flaunt the rules by engaging in the debilitating practice of daily training on bronchodilators, pain-killers, muscle relaxers, and steroid-effect like drugs.

Abetted by profiteering veterinarians, trainers erroneously believe these drugs give them an edge. Sadly, day-to-day training on drugs creates a dependence on DRUGS, the ones that are illegal on race-day!

The problem with the use of training on controlled substances is that they mask the very subtle signs, symptoms, and pain that tell the educated eye it’s time for a change. They wreak havoc with horse’s own cellular intelligence which is designed to strengthen itself. Unnoticed, horses’ train onward only to collapse on race-day when their system hasn’t the integrity to withstand the demands of racing clean. While researching within the NYSRWB database I was surprised by the number of cardiovascular collapses reported; the workload on heart and lungs must be enormous on an animal suffering withdrawal on race-day.

Veterinarians addicted to profit, coupled with trainers addicted to finding an edge, are co-creating a generation of drug-riddled addicted animals. I see this first-hand as retired runners come to my farm for re-homing. Often, they go through weeks of withdrawal and depression while enduring the side-effects of long term drug abuse -- in the name of "therapy".

Shockingly, trainers I have spoken with justify the use of illegal-to-race-on-drugs siting, “that is what the other trainers do”. Unfortunately, I too see veterinarians, who are entrusted to ethically prescribe, instead simply filling orders for trainers. To which I ask, what authority licenses trainers to diagnose and prescribe controlled substances? And yet, the veterinarians who supposedly control the controlled substances, by supposedly writing prescriptions and determining dosages are held to the same malpractice laws as human doctors.

Furthermore, the misuse of drugs like Clenbuterol, is on the rise. Traditionally, a medication prescribed to clear up an inflammatory irritation, it is now being administered en masse for its anabolic steroid like effect. A finding noted and acted upon in California at Los Alamitos.

As trainers and veterinarians fill horses with a continual stream of inappropriately classified “therapeutic” drugs such as clenbuterol, bute, banamine, magnesium sulfate, and naquasone...to name a few, they are setting up horses, and jockeys, for disaster.

It is my belief, that the excessive amounts of controlled substances in use on a daily basis are causal to the rise in breakdowns -- this was alluded to in Dr. Susan Stover’s in-depth report to Congress in 2008.

On race-day, most entrants are given lasix, a diuretic that further insults the equine athlete through dehydration. Now, with comprised bodies suffering drug withdrawal the horse is asked to deliver its biggest most strenuous effort. It is my fear for the safety of all involved, that unless measures are taken to eradicate drugs all together, the lack of them on race-day will lead to even more casualties.

If a horse is not allowed to race on certain substances, why then are they allowed to train on the same? This methodology implodes; each horse an innocent victim.

The problem with racing is not race-day medications, the surface, or the purse...it is rather the willingness of certain people to exploit horses at any price.

I have spent nearly everyday of my life in the company of thoroughbreds. I see no harm in racing strong, sound, healthy horses -- there is however, something seriously inhumane about drugging animals to “run through pain” as one trainer put it, and, “because they need to race” as a one veterinarian noted.

It is my hope that NYSRWB will see fit to place a ban on all drugs, all the time, and regularly conduct drug testing on the backstretch in between races. Between now and then, perhaps the Board will revisit the 2009 plan to disclose drug records, a truly effective way to regain the public’s trust. A proposal criticized only by veterinarians, none of which seem to have any difficulty with the same record-keeping when it comes to billing unsuspecting owners.

By Susan Kayne. Horse Lover, Animal Activist, Racehorse Owner.

Related Links:

Drugs banned by NYSRWB, see 4043.2 Restricted use of drugs, medication and other substances.

The Chemical Horse: Drugs in Racing

WinStar Lasix Study

Business of Racing on Lasix

Kentucky Derby Vet Records

Hong Kong & Horse Care

What do you think is an ethical and morally responsible behavior as the use of drugs to train racehorses?

Morning Gallops

Despite wicked high winds this AM the Girls and Clint
put in a solid few miles around the training oval on the farm.
I am pleased with each horse's progress...Susan.

The Girls & Clint Galloping This AM

1st set: Speedy (Baal Perazim) & Clint galloping together this AM in the Husdon Valley...you can see the differences in their way of going...Speedy a sprinting rocket, and Clint a sojourner over the grass....

2nd set: Brownie & Wild Siren, both elegant movers and very easy to ride at any distance, on any surface.

All are NY-Breds, foaled, raised, and trained with love. Each now getting ready to ship to Saratoga when it opens April 15th. Watch for UR Stable in the winner's circle....see them all as babies below!

Wild Siren at 5-months with her mother Appro.



Clint Eastwood Getting Some Tail at 3-weeks.

Brownie with all 4 feet off the ground at just 4-weeks!

Speedy at 5 months on the day she arrived at UR Stable.

Now they are ready to send off to college!



NY-Breds: Now More Than Ever

If you have ever dreamed of owning a racehorse there is truly no better time.

Join UR Stable and Unbridle your racing dreams...just look at our gorgeous girls and Clint Eastwood.
The Team is getting ready for summer at Saratoga....own a NY racehorse today 1.877.WINS.BIG

UR TEAM 2012

Hey Friends... It has been a while, here's why...I have been super busy developing our last crop of big, bold, beautiful NY-Breds. This glorious NY winter has allowed us to gallop outdoors nearly every day. The window of opportunity to race for the richest purses in the history of NY Racing --- with the least competition is NOW!

Have a look at UR Racing Team, Three 2YOs, and Three 3YOs,...we have just a few partnership interests available and you can enjoy responsibly racing with our Team.....

 2009 Hook And Ladder Filly

 2010 Aragorn (IRE) Filly

 2010 Wild Desert Filly

 2010 Big Brown Filly

 Baal Perazim 2009

Clint Eastwood 2009

Interested? I invite you to give us a call at 1.877.WINS.BIG and check out our website UnbridledRacing.com, our partnerships are straightforward -- no management or administrative fees, no mark-ups, no take-outs.