PETA Statement on Death of Horse at Belmont Park

For Immediate Release:
June 8, 2015

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Even on one of the most elite days of racing, the horses aren’t safe. Four-year-old Helwan, a French horse, was racing on Lasix for the first time—something that is not allowed in Europe—and like more than 1,000 horses a year in the U.S., he died on the track. U.S. racing is about drugs, breakdowns, and death, and until the constant medicating of these animals stops, that will never change.

While track officials could raise a screen on the track to protect attendees from witnessing Helwan’s agonizing final moments, the veil has been lifted on this greedy industry’s track record—and it’s littered with broken young horses like Helwan.

— PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo