Tuscan Prince, says the NY Gaming Commission, was killed in the 8th race at Yonkers last night. Not clear at this point whether it was a breakdown or sudden death. He was five years old. The complicit trainer/driver: Pat Lachance. The Commission also reports that Fly’n Frisbee “reared up and fell over on its back while being saddled before the first race [at Aqueduct yesterday]…scratched because of injury.” The “it” in question is (was?) three and coming off his first race – way back in Dec 2023 (finished last, 35+ lengths back).
And while E J’s Revenge’s death was already covered in our West Virginia post, I think it deserves a few extra lines. In the 4th at Charles Town Nov 6, E J “collapsed into the first turn” and suffered a “sudden death.” Horrible enough, but here’s the thing: That day, E J was nine and had already been forced into starting gates and whipped to race for over seven years. And this, his final stop, was race 105. That’s right, 105. The man mostly responsible for this egregious animal cruelty was owner/trainer Andrew Murtaugh. But plenty of blame also to the CT officials for allowing it (10 of E J’s last 11 races were at that track), and shame on you jockey Connie McKenzie for getting on his back that day.
