Death and Disarray at Americas Racetracks

[Grits]

Print does the leg work. The talking heads are too busy doing just that--talking. Didn't take long for this one to be picked up.

Don't mean to sound like gloom and doom, but still believe we're getting ready to be welcomed to Horseracing Hell.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

As has been well established...........there is no horse racing media. Very little anyway. Just complicit fans it seems.

Horse racing is going to find out this week what it's like to have a real media policing it..............

I bet Brian Williams or someone does something on this on a network news show this week. The Times has a long reach.............

This week may spell the end or a new beginning for horse racing. Based on past experiences with the leadership of the sport, I am not optimistic


http://politics.newsvine.com/_news/2...racks#comments

agree.

[appistappis]

Originally Posted by usedtolovetvg

While there are too many bad stories out there involving racing, there are a lot of good ones. Racing doesn't have the leadership to deal with the issues nor does it have credible marketing organization to tell the good things that racing does and defend itself against the bad. The public perception is rich people and degenerates but most of us lie somewhere in the middle. The industry is like a punching bag with no defense. Sort of like George Chuvalo when he fought Muhammad Ali.

As long as we are looking to get the facts straight, Ali spent the night after the fight in the hospitol, georgie went out drinking.

[lansdale]

I realize that this NY Times piece has been linked in another thread, but I think it's important enough to deserve its own thread. I've excerpted what seemed to be to be some of the most significant findings. I think it's worth keeping in mind that the stats provided herein are doubtless more accurate than any of those provided by the profoundly corrupt and self-serving racing industry. One of the reasons I'm happy to see this piece is that I've been amazed by the hypocritical overreaction from many of the horseplayers on this site over the horseraces that died during the shooting of the HBO series 'Luck', as though the average 1200 thoroughbreds that die in th U.S. annually were doing something other than simply, like television, providing entertainment.

"On average, 24 horses die each week at racetracks across America. Many are inexpensive horses racing with little regulatory protection in pursuit of bigger and bigger prizes. These deaths often go unexamined, the bodies shipped to rendering plants and landfills rather than to pathologists who might have discovered why the horses broke down.
In 2008, after a Kentucky Derby horse, Eight Belles, broke two ankles on national television and was euthanized, Congress extracted promises from the racing industry to make its sport safer. While safety measures like bans on anabolic steroids have been enacted, assessing their impact has been difficult because many tracks do not keep accurate accident figures or will not release them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/us....html?_r=1&hpw

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...isks-vary.html

[Hambletonian]

We are all to blame...few of us will give up any advantage in owning or betting, even if it is for the long term benefit of the sport.

If we can make money, we are happy, generally. Horse racing has disintegrated into a sport of misfits, criminals, heartles b&stards and the like.
Considering how little money most tracks make from live racing...maybe it is time to come down hard.

Quarter horse racing is even seedier then tbreds. More horses bred, and I bet more horses knocked off. Anyone have statistics on the number of career starts for QHs as opposed to TBs? I am guessing it is lower. I am not surprised the the capital of quarter horse racing in the US is the center of this issue. It was not that many years ago when no less than two horses broke their legs during the All American Futurity...couldn't even make it 440 yards with four intact legs.

Horse racing has become all about gambling...but running a track is a terrible way to extract money from the public through gambling. It is all about people on their computers now, betting races from across the country. Nobody goes to the races anymore...and wait and see how many tracks will still be around in 5 years. Once the public accepts slots/casino gambling off track...wait and see how many racinos crumble.

Don't blame the NY Times....blame yourself. We have all allowed it to get to this point, even major league baseball manned up and took the heat by making an example of the steroid abusers. Too bad that the racing industry is dominated by self interested dim bulbs.

[Kirbyjrt]

After reading the "Luck" article, the NYT article, finding out the number of horses being put down at Aqueduct inner track, the 24 horses per week number, I have decided that I have to take a major hiatus on this sport.

There needs to be something to minimize these deaths. The horses are the athletes here, and unfortunately they have no say in how they are treated. I never thought this was a pure sport, but I always thought there was a respect for the animals well being. Boy, was I wrong.

I agree with those who see the truth's in the NYT article. This industry needs an overhaul, and until it does, my playing days are over. Vote with your wallet.

I'll have to start reading about things the industry is doing to make the sport safer for the horses. I don't hold out much hope for that.

[Grits]

If we can make money, we are happy, generally. Horse racing has disintegrated into a sport of misfits, criminals, heartles b&stards and the like.

Horseracing has always been about gambling. And too, about horses. It was so, before the first racetrack was ever built when men stood in the middle of a field, or a dirt path, or a street, exclaiming, "I've got $20 that says my horse can outrun yours by daylight." --This isn't new. This is the way it began, its the way it remains. Its a betting sport.

As far as your quote--I'm sorry but bettors make this game go and unfortunately this isn't the best room to enter and imply that we've all disintegrated into misfits, criminals, and heartless bastards. I'm pretty confident that those of us here are not.

[Cardus]

Originally Posted by Kirbyjrt

After reading the "Luck" article, the NYT article, finding out the number of horses being put down at Aqueduct inner track, the 24 horses per week number, I have decided that I have to take a major hiatus on this sport.

There needs to be something to minimize these deaths. The horses are the athletes here, and unfortunately they have no say in how they are treated. I never thought this was a pure sport, but I always thought there was a respect for the animals well being. Boy, was I wrong.

I agree with those who see the truth's in the NYT article. This industry needs an overhaul, and until it does, my playing days are over. Vote with your wallet.

I'll have to start reading about things the industry is doing to make the sport safer for the horses. I don't hold out much hope for that.

Good riddance.

[Cardus]

Originally Posted by Grits

Horseracing has always been about gambling. And too, about horses. It was so, before the first racetrack was ever built when men stood in the middle of a field, or a dirt path, or a street, exclaiming, "I've got $20 that says my horse can outrun yours by daylight." --This isn't new. This is the way it began, its the way it remains. Its a betting sport.

As far as your quote--I'm sorry but bettors make this game go and unfortunately this isn't the best room to enter and imply that we've all disintegrated into misfits, criminals, and heartless bastards. I'm pretty confident that those of us here are not.

An ancient history expert, too?

Who was on the $20 bill back then?

The highilghted portion: rubbish.

[Grits]

Keep carping, its what you do best.

Originally Posted by Cardus

An ancient history expert, too?

Who was on the $20 bill back then?

The highilghted portion: rubbish.

[Cardus]

Originally Posted by Grits

Keep carping, its what you do best.

Keep pontificating, its what you do best.

[alhattab]

Originally Posted by castaway01

The difference being, of course, that the human athletes had a choice in participating in those athletic events and to take any drugs they used to enhance performance while the horses did not. i

Many people at the Times would probably disagree with this statement. These guys wouldn't be risking life and limb playing gladiator sports if they had equal access and opportunities for less dangerous pursuits.

[jeebus1083]

Looks like another breakdown at Aqueduct in the finale - There Goes Molly

From the Equibase chart caller:

"THERE GOES MOLLY displayed poor action from the get-go, bore out continuously down the backstretch while not persevered with, got pulled up and was subsequently vanned off."

Any word on this horse?

[cj]

Reynolds just returned to racing after a long absence. Why he would claim that horse, I have no idea.

[nijinski]

Although I agree this whole thing is tragic and sickening to hear , there will be more pressure again on the people in all areas the industry.
Social media has given the the opportunity to help out and many are.
Three Chimneys , WinStar and other breeders are aware and they are doing more than ever before to get at risk runners rehomed. Advice was just plucked from a $3,000 claimer in Az. because the public saw the red flags and went after the breeders and even as far as the bloodstock agents.

Wish this could be so of all the abused animals , but it takes time and
perserverance.

Drape had every right to do a story on this mess .Tthe other side of the coin is he's made a good living over the years with articles on the spectacular side of the sport. He gained the trust of many horsemen and gained privelage for some very good headlines. With the news of these reports becoming a series of Sunday news , I do hope he will highlight some of the changes and ongoing efforts of those who truly love these horses and the sport. If not , I might just start e mailing some select info to the Times.