Jockey Club survery says, its reached a tipping point

[Grits]

https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne..._horse_racing_

[Jeff P]

Working link --

The Jockey Club survey: Voters want 'real changes' in racing:
https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne...rse_racing_123

According to a new national and Kentucky-based poll commissioned by The Jockey Club, horse fatalities are the single most important factor facing the horse racing industry with nearly seven in 10 likely voters (69 percent) saying that it is a “very important” issue. The misuse of drugs was almost equally significant with 65 percent saying it was “very important.” Integrity and corruption also scored highly at 63 percent.

“This survey is further proof that the horse racing industry has reached a tipping point,” said Jim Gagliano, The Jockey Club president and COO. “The health of horses is of concern to both horse racing fans and the general public, and it’s time we make some real changes.”

-jp

.

[The_Turf_Monster]

Reading between the lines, it seems the Jockey Club has had enough of breeders breeding infirm horses, connections sending unsound horses onto the track, and regulatory bodies allowing the use of drugs in racing. You don't ask those questions without already knowing what kind of response you'll get

[Grits]

Oops! Jeff, I'm sorry. I read the story, and thought it was the link I was posting.

[ultracapper]

Hell, the only involvement I have in the game is making a bet now and again, and I'VE had enough of all 3 of those issues. Watching a horse breakdown on the track is heart breaking.

[cutchemist42]

I do wish breeding wasnt so skewed towards cheap 3 year old speed. I might my words later but I dont think Justify works out for crop.

I'd rather the 4year old division was catered to, really prefer that class of horse.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by ultracapper

Hell, the only involvement I have in the game is making a bet now and again, and I'VE had enough of all 3 of those issues. Watching a horse breakdown on the track is heart breaking.

Horses have been breaking down since we started racing them.

It's the same reason precious little children are starving to death all around the world. The same reason tsunamis appear out of nowhere and kill thousands.

Bad shit happens in this world, and there is, apparently, nothing we can do to stop it in many instances.

The only way to stop horses from breaking down is to stop racing them.

[The_Turf_Monster]

Originally Posted by cutchemist42

I do wish breeding wasnt so skewed towards cheap 3 year old speed. I might my words later but I dont think Justify works out for crop.

I'd rather the 4year old division was catered to, really prefer that class of horse.

I'd prefer the jockey club take some real action and not register a horse unless it came out of a sire that won at 3, 4, and 5 without the use of any raceday meds. That would solve a lot of the breeding industry's problems in a heartbeat imo

[Jeff P]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

...The only way to stop horses from breaking down is to stop racing them.

Yes. (Horses break down.)

Of course there are a lot of common sense things we can do to reduce the number of breakdowns when we race them.

Imo, if you look closely at clusters where breakdown rates have spiked -- recent examples might be Turf Paradise and Santa Anita -- in hindsight (and hindsight is always 20/20) it's not terribly difficult to see that at least some of the practices (again in hindsight) weren't being enforced as strictly as they could have --

For instance, pre-race vet exams, etc.



-jp

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[Tom]

People stop doing what they are supposed to do and then "accidents" happen.

[bob60566]

This survey is further proof that the horse racing industry has reached a tipping point,

The same points were made in 2009, Why does it take so long for someone to make changes and stop beating around the bush or form another committee with the stakeholders which is the standard reply now.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Tom

People stop doing what they are supposed to do and then "accidents" happen.

When you load up the horses with illegal pain-killers which are 50 times more powerful than morphine (cobra venom, frog juice...etc) so you can numb their injured limbs, and then send them to the starting gate when they should be rehabilitating instead...what sort of "accidents" should we expect?

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by The_Turf_Monster

I'd prefer the jockey club take some real action and not register a horse unless it came out of a sire that won at 3, 4, and 5 without the use of any raceday meds. That would solve a lot of the breeding industry's problems in a heartbeat imo

It would also cut the number of available horses significantly.

At a time when the industry is already experiencing a shortage of horses, I think it would create a completely new set of problems.

[cutchemist42]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Yes. (Horses break down.)

Of course there are a lot of common sense things we can do to reduce the number of breakdowns when we race them.

Imo, if you look closely at clusters where breakdown rates have spiked -- recent examples might be Turf Paradise and Santa Anita -- in hindsight (and hindsight is always 20/20) it's not terribly difficult to see that at least some of the practices (again in hindsight) weren't being enforced as strictly as they could have --

For instance, pre-race vet exams, etc.



-jp

.

Bingo...

I mean, I've started a few breakdown trend threads when horse racing Twitter usually notices the trends before the track admits there's a problem and before mainstream media starts watching.

I think the Santa Anita mess was really avoidable.

[The_Turf_Monster]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

It would also cut the number of available horses significantly.

At a time when the industry is already experiencing a shortage of horses, I think it would create a completely new set of problems.

That's the point, horse racing is in a downward spiral right now because there are a lot of breeders and connections involved that shouldnt be