MIAMI -- Two emaciated horses that were once thoroughbred racers at Calder Race Course were taken over the holiday weekend from a farm alleged to be an illegal slaughterhouse.

Rescuers said the two horses spent the last two months starving in a pen in reprehensible conditions, Local 10's Todd Tongen reported.

Karla Wolfson and Laurie Godecke spent their Christmas Day trying to save the lives of two thoroughbred racehorses. The two animal lovers drove to a farm in northwest Miami-Dade County after Godecke read an article in a newspaper about an increase in horse slaughter farms.

"I said, 'That's the filly and that's the gelding.' I knew exactly who they were because I have galloped them over and over and over," said Godecke, who was an assistant trainer at Calder.

Godecke had found a home for the gelding, who was named Dance Hall Graeme, two months ago, but it somehow fell through.

"He was going to a beautiful home with kids feeding him apples, petting him, loving him, and he had to end up like that and suffer and suffer. That's the part that killed my heart," Godecke said.

On Sunday, the animal was euthanized. The rescuers said Dance Hall Graeme was nothing but skin and bones, was bleeding through the nose and suffered from infections it could not survive.

"He is gone but maybe she can speak for him somehow. It was so horrible. I don't have the stomach for it," Wolfson said.

In a video shot by Animal Rescue Mission, Miami-Dade police can be seen at the farm on Dec. 18, but no action was taken to seize the horses.

"There was a picture taken of me with two extremely neglected and emaciated horses that ended up being from Calder Race Course," said Richard Couto, of Animal Rescue Mission.

Now, Wolfson and Godecke are focused on caring for the filly at a Southwest Ranches farm and also are trying to get racehorse owners to look after their horses when they are done racing so they do not end up like Dance Hall Graeme.

"These trainers and owners need to step up to the plate and find decent homes for these animals. You can't turn a blind eye to what is going on and say it's not your responsibility. These animals deserve better," Wolfson said.

The prognosis for the filly is good. The rescuers said she has to battle some infections and put on more weight.

Miami-Dade police said the lead detective on the task force that visited the farm on Dec. 18 was out of the office Monday and they could not find the incident report, so they could not comment on why the animals were not seized.

Representatives of Calder Race Course said they are opening their own investigation into how the two horses ended up in that situation.