Aqueduct Racetrack Leaves Blood-Soaked Legacy; PETA Calls for Memorial to Honor Horses Killed

For Immediate Release:
July 1, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Just days after Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens hosted its final race, PETA today sent a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul urging her to install a memorial honoring the hundreds of horses who died at the track over its 132-year history. In the letter, PETA offers to help cover the cost of the memorial and suggests a statue modeled after She’s Grand, the last horse to die at Aqueduct, who suffered a fatal injury there only four days ago.

PETA points out that more than 270 horses have been killed in races and training at Aqueduct since 2009 alone. The track has remained open this long only because the failing horse racing industry is propped up by hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies paid by New Yorkers without their consent.

“It’s an ugly fact that countless horses were whipped, drugged, and pushed beyond their physical limits at Aqueduct Racetrack for human amusement,” says PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk. “The least New York can do now is ensure their memories don’t die with them, and PETA urges everyone to play golf, bet on elections, or do anything other than support any entertainment in which animals are cruelly exploited.”

In the United States, an average of at least one horse is killed on racetracks every day—and that number reflects only reported on-track fatalities. The true figure is likely far higher.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a horse is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Hochul follows.

July 1, 2026

The Honorable Kathy Hochul

Governor of New York State

Dear Governor Hochul:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters globally, including close to half a million in New York—in response to the news that Aqueduct Racetrack has hosted its final race and will close forever. As New York considers this site’s legacy, we urge you to install a memorial on the grounds to commemorate the hundreds of horses killed at Aqueduct Racetrack for the sake of human entertainment, similar to the one we’ve mocked up below. This statue could be modeled after She’s Grand, the New York-bred horse trained by Linda Rice who sustained a fatal injury just four days ago and was the last to die at Aqueduct. PETA would be willing to help cover the costs.

Since 2009, more than 270 horses were killed at Aqueduct Racetrack in races and training, and their deaths reflect the broader reality of an industry that treats horses as disposable commodities. Thoroughbreds at Aqueduct were whipped, drugged, and pushed beyond their physical limits and sustained catastrophic injuries that prematurely ended their lives.

As you know, New Yorkers have unwillingly paid for this misery. Aqueduct remained in business—and other tracks in the state continue to do so—only because the industry is propped up by more than a quarter-billion dollars in subsidies every year. Aqueduct is closing now because the state loaned the New York Racing Association $455 million to renovate Belmont Park. New Yorkers object.

Rather than allowing the cruel deaths of hundreds of horses to fade into history, New York has an opportunity to honor their lives with a memorial that would acknowledge the past and inspire change and compassion in the future. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

Founder