Horse racing attacked by Media---Daily

[ReplayRandall]

3 horses die in first 2 days of fall season at Belmont Park, raising 2019 toll to 25

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mor...cid=spartanntp

[clicknow]

Not sure why anyone would expect the media not to engage in "same-ol-same-ol" when the racing industry itself keeps doing "same-ol-same-ol"?

[mikesal57]

Originally Posted by ReplayRandall

3 horses die in first 2 days of fall season at Belmont Park, raising 2019 toll to 25

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mor...cid=spartanntp

And heres the kicker......

They cant get rid of the replay....but they do get rid of the head-on so that you CANT see what happened to the horse.....

Theres 2 possibilities that you'll see...1) horse lies dead on track , most likely from heart attack or 2) Horses instinct to jump back to his feet and you see the leg/foot dangling....

Its so sad....but that is how the track tries to cover it up...

[Tom]

3 in 2 days sems newsworthy.
25 total from when?

Maybe they aren't the enemy here.

[BarchCapper]

The NYS Gaming Commission database linked in the article provides lots of details. It is an interesting read.

6 of the 25 (in all of 2019) were non-racing/training (pneumonia, colic, kicked stall fracture, etc.)

Belmont is obviously the biggest stabling/training area year-round except for when the bulk of the horses are at Saratoga.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by mikesal57

And heres the kicker......

They cant get rid of the replay....but they do get rid of the head-on so that you CANT see what happened to the horse.....

Theres 2 possibilities that you'll see...1) horse lies dead on track , most likely from heart attack or 2) Horses instinct to jump back to his feet and you see the leg/foot dangling....

Its so sad....but that is how the track tries to cover it up...

There's a real aversion among decisionmakers in the sport about showing the gruesome effects of breakdowns. Santa Anita did everything they could to keep the San Simeon Stakes off the Internet this year, even though everyone knew that horses were breaking down right and left at the track.

The best example was NBC got all sorts of crap for showing Go For Wand's breakdown several times in 1990. The horse racing establishment actually expected NBC not to replay one of the biggest stories in the history in racing, a breakdown in the middle of the stretch during a duel between two champion racehorses in one of the biggest races of the year. NBC, in a very nice way, told the critics to shove it (and of course, showed every replay they could of Eight Belles at the Derby years later).

[46zilzal]

One wonder if the breakdown rate is as it always has been and just used as a shock point for the PETA crowd.

[cj]

Sadly there was another yesterday.

[Immortal6]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

The best example was NBC got all sorts of crap for showing Go For Wand's breakdown several times in 1990. The horse racing establishment actually expected NBC not to replay one of the biggest stories in the history in racing, a breakdown in the middle of the stretch during a duel between two champion racehorses in one of the biggest races of the year. NBC, in a very nice way, told the critics to shove it (and of course, showed every replay they could of Eight Belles at the Derby years later).

Holy shit that was heartbreaking. I spent the last 20 minutes reading about and watching video and looking at the pictures from that day. I actually teared up watching her try to run off with her right front dangling like that...the outrider grabbing her and pinning her down trying to calm her. Jesus that was brutal to watch. Can’t imagine if something like that were to happen at this years Breeders Cup.

[clicknow]

Originally Posted by Immortal6

Holy shit that was heartbreaking. I spent the last 20 minutes reading about and watching video and looking at the pictures from that day. I actually teared up watching her try to run off with her right front dangling like that...the outrider grabbing her and pinning her down trying to calm her. Jesus that was brutal to watch. Can’t imagine if something like that were to happen at this years Breeders Cup.

I had to review that event in my mind again, when news came recently that Randy Romero had passed. He had a very hard and painful life. Then watching Go For Wand with that leg flapping around, honestly I felt like I was going to be sick......for both of them in so many ways.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by clicknow

I had to review that event in my mind again, when news came recently that Randy Romero had passed. He had a very hard and painful life. Then watching Go For Wand with that leg flapping around, honestly I felt like I was going to be sick......for both of them in so many ways.

I avoided NBC's coverage for the worst possible reason- it happened right in front of me at the track. My seat was at the 16th pole on the 4th floor at Belmont.

It was awful. One of the worst things I have ever seen on a track. (Notably, however, I quietly went and cashed my ticket on Bayakoa after seeing the blue screens get put up and Go For Wand being put down on the track. That's the coarseness of horse racing)

Nonetheless, we can't bury the truth on stuff like this. NBC was perfectly correct; it was a huge story and you had to show it.

[The_Turf_Monster]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I avoided NBC's coverage for the worst possible reason- it happened right in front of me at the track. My seat was at the 16th pole on the 4th floor at Belmont.

It was awful. One of the worst things I have ever seen on a track. (Notably, however, I quietly went and cashed my ticket on Bayakoa after seeing the blue screens get put up and Go For Wand being put down on the track. That's the coarseness of horse racing)

Nonetheless, we can't bury the truth on stuff like this. NBC was perfectly correct; it was a huge story and you had to show it.

If a human athlete died during a game, NBC wouldn't be showing it. I really don't think it's necessary to show

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by The_Turf_Monster

If a human athlete died during a game, NBC wouldn't be showing it. I really don't think it's necessary to show

1. They should. If a boxer, for instance, died in the ring, they absolutely should replay what happened. That's called journalism. They aren't deaths, but gruesome football injuries have been replayed many times on telecasts.

2. It is DEFINITELY necessary to show it. Breakdowns are terrible. They are also, to use a line from one of the Godfather movies, "the business we've chosen". If we can't handle seeing a breakdown on television, then the sport needs to be banned. Seriously. Because it means that we can't handle the truth of what we have signed up for.

The proper response, indeed, the only response, to this situation is for all of us to do as much as possible to reduce the breakdown rate as low as possible. Not to expect the TV networks to sanitize the reality of our sport for us.

[GMB@BP]

Wait, I thought this was a California problem?

By the time horse racing realizes they have a media problem on their hands it will be too late.

[classhandicapper]

As hard as breakdowns are to deal with, this is never going to be a zero tolerance sport.

If horses were free running in fields they'd occasionally take a bad step and beak down, get spooked, panic, fall, trip over each other or run into a tree, come down with health issues like colic that lead to premature death etc...

The goal is to ensure that every horse goes to the track as close to 100% fit and sound as possible and that the surface they are running on is not adding to the frequency of breakdowns over and above the "accident" rate that might occur if they were running free.

If we at least approach that point, the critics have no ammunition unless we allow them to set the standard to zero tolerance, which is absurd. Clearly, we are still quite a way away from the "target". The difference between dirt and turf racing tells you everything you need to know before we even get into drugs and other treatments.