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Tracey’s Desire in the 7th at Yonkers Thursday: “horse lost all speed near the half and subsequently collapsed on track…” Collapsed. Dead. At five. But fret not, for the Gaming Commission assures an “investigation” is under way.

The most recent Minutes from Santa Anita disclose two “fatalities” for the week Jan 28-Feb 3. One was Kid Cantina on the 2nd; the other, however, remains anonymous.

This is horseracing.

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From the NYS Gaming Commission:

Sunday, training at Belmont, Miss Marion “sustained cannon bone injury and fell at the 1/8 pole…euthanized on track.” Miss Marion was six.

Same day, same track, Chronos “fracture[d] his right front leg” (also training) – euthanized the following day. Chronos was two.

This is horseracing.

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Kid Cantina’s run in the 6th at Santa Anita yesterday (Equibase): “KID CANTINA…dueled along the rail, stalked into the backstretch, took a bad step early on the backstretch and was pulled up in distress and vanned off.” The “bad step,” the “distress,” we now know, ended in death. Kid Cantina (below) turned three yesterday.

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Equibase’s account of the 4th at Laurel yesterday: “SHE’S STUNNING was pulled up in the opening furlong, sustained a catastrophic injury and was euthanized on the track.” Gone. Dead. She’s Stunning was four; she was under the whip for the 33rd time.

The NYS Gaming Commission reports this for 3-year-old Catpsalm at Belmont Tuesday: “euthanized due to poor prognosis for presumptive [equine protozoal myeloencephalitis].” Catpsalm had been raced once, at Aqueduct in December.

The most recent Stewards Minutes at Santa Anita report five – yes, five – “fatalities” for the week Jan 21-Jan 27. We know two; the other three, however, remain unidentified. In the past two editions of the Minutes, covering the 14th to the 27th, Santa Anita claims eight dead racehorses – eight, in just two weeks. Imagine that.