Horse Racing Is Breeding Itself to Death

Washington Post ^ | May 4, 2008 | Sally Jenkins

[kingattax]

The camera cut away from her, but it should have stayed on her. Eight Belles had run herself half to death yesterday, and now the vets were finishing the job as she lay on her side, her beautiful figure a black hump on the track. Horses don't just fall down like that, you thought, as NBC flitted away, cowardlike, from the sickening picture to the more appealing image of the Kentucky Derby victor, Big Brown.

There is no turning away from this fact: Eight Belles killed herself finishing second. She ran with the heart of a locomotive, on champagne-glass ankles, trying to please her jockey, trainer, owners and all the people in the crowd, the sheiks, oilmen, entrepreneurs, old money from the thousand-acre farms, the handicappers, men in bad sport coats with crumpled sheets full of betting hieroglyphics, the julep-swillers and the ladies in hats the size of boats, and the rest of the people who make up thoroughbred racing. There was no mistaking this fact, too, as she made her stretch run, and the apologists will use it to defend the sport in the coming days: She ran to please herself.

But thoroughbred racing is in a moral crisis, and everyone now knows it. Twice since 2006, magnificent animals have suffered catastrophic injuries on live television in Triple Crown races, and there is no explaining that away. Horses are being over-bred and over-raced, until their bodies cannot support their own ambitions, or those of the humans who race them. Barbaro and Eight Belles merely are the most famous horses who have fatally injured themselves. On Friday, a colt named Chelokee, trained by Barbaro's trainer Michael Matz, dislocated an ankle during an undercard for the Kentucky Oaks and was given a 50 percent chance of survival.

[kingattax]

..

Eight Belles is examined on the track after her second-place finish at the 134th Kentucky Derby. She was euthanized after breaking both front ankles. (AP photo / May 3, 2008)

the filly ran one hell of a race. how very very sad

[Sherman Logan]

Is there really some great increase in these incidents?

Horse racing has always been dangerous, both for horses and jockeys.

[metmom]

All for greed and money....

That makes it even worse.

[Spouting Horn]

...the sheiks, oilmen, entrepreneurs, old money from the thousand-acre farms...

The true target of her catty whine.

[Pharmboy]

She had the heart of Ruffian...and THAT says a lot.

[Spouting Horn]

All for greed and money....

And the flip-side of greed and money goes something like "From each according to his ability..."

[Pharmboy]

Ping...and, what’s your opinion?

[lajollasurfer]

Certainly not for money, these owners try and loose as little money as possible, that is why it is the sport of kings.

[do not press 2 for spanish]

What a sad end to a beautiful animal, IMO. Her troubles are over, now. RIP.

[Lizavetta]

Why can't a horse recover from broken legs/ankles?

They're too big? Too heavy? Too what?

[Constitution Day]

Quite right!

[ClearCase_guy]

The WSJ had a great article on Native Dancer and his descendants. Genetic weakness in the legs — almost all thoroughbreds today come from the same stock and we’re now seeing what that means.

[Arguendo]

Or even a dislocated ankle? Unbelievable.

On Friday, a colt named Chelokee, trained by Barbaro's trainer Michael Matz, dislocated an ankle during an undercard for the Kentucky Oaks and was given a 50 percent chance of survival.

[acoulterfan]

I have been long been actively involved in rescuing ex-racing greyhounds and I sure hope they don’t use the same methods to the horses as they do to these magnificant dogs to get them to run their hearts out!!!!

[SeeSharp]

All for greed and money....
That makes it even worse.

Try to remember these are animals. The thoroughbred was created to race and wouldn't even exist as a breed otherwise.

[lajollasurfer]

Too heavy; you can tell from this incident how fragile those small legs are supporting the horses weight. When repaired the blood does not flow properly unless the horse can move and with two broken ankles she was not going to move.

[isthisnickcool]

Oddly written. As if the writer can channel the "mind" of a horse that apparently has human thoughts. Weird.

(insert theme song to the TV show Mr. Ed here)

[waud]

Check out this link, it will answer some questions.

http://www.vet.upenn.edu/newsandevents/news/Barbaro.htm

[FoxInSocks]

Some journalists have been killed while working, Ms. Jenkins, so we should put an end to that, too.

We should probably end all professional, amateur, and youth sporting and athletic activities while we're at it, as people get injured by pushing themselves to new limits every year.

[gate2wire]

I think people like this author are dead wrong. Folks remember the Ruffian/Eight Belles/Barbaros but forget to mention the other 100 races that went off today without a hitch. How many races have Americans seen on National TV since Ruffian? How many life-ending injuries? I can only think of a few; Go For Wand, Ruffian, Eight Belles...
Injuries are part of racing, so is death. Unfortunate.
Have seen lots of horses break down over the years, but when I consider how many races I’ve watched, the number seems minuscule.

[Mr Rogers]

True, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the breeding has pushed speed beyond structural soundness. Particularly with fillies, it seems they are being pushed beyond their ability to compete.

[SeeSharp]

(insert theme song to the TV show Mr. Ed here)

I was thinking of the horse in Animal Farm singing The Internationale.

[Lurker]

Dear Sally,

The real tragedy is that several hundred pounds of perfectly good horse meat weren't sold after this horse met its maker.

L

[metmom]

I just can’t find it in me to justify abusing animals for profit.

Horse racing has a tainted history.

Regardless of the fact that they are bred for racing, pushing any animal to the point of injuring itself like that is abuse.

[BIGLOOK]

Thoroughbreds have developed problem through the selective process of breeding. Owners want Secretariats and Affirmeds as much for the purse as the stud fees. What they often overlook is a John Henry.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks. And the other point she was making was that there is a trend that is making this more common now...I don’t think that’s true either.

Big Brown got a perfect ride...and he is quite colt.

[gate2wire]

Yeah, he looked pretty darn good. Did you find somewhere to bet?

Time for bed. Sad day, but it’s over. Lots of racing tomorrow.

[tbw2]

Americans don’t eat horse meat, and both plants in the US that processed horse meat for export were shut down by environmentalists. So the horses get bought up cheap, especially in Texas, and sent to Mexico to be slaughtered less humanely.
So a lot fewer horses are being sold for meat, and a lot more of them are being left to starve on back lots.

[skimask]

Here at Santa Anita, the turf course crosses over the main track at the west end. There was a guilding I liked and had won a few bucks on, Delegante, guy had big lungs. At the close of the racing season here the have a race, San Juan Capistrano Stakes, a mile and 3/4’s. Any way, Delegante had the lead by 5 lengths with about 1/4 mile to go. He broke down crossing that strip of grass and had to be put down.

[devere]

They can’t call it “improving the breed” any more, because the breed hit a peak, unlikely to be excelled in my lifetime, in 1973.
For any who don’t remember, this was the amazing scene at Belmont Park:

http://www.championsgallery.com/Secretariat%20The%20Photo.jpg

Losing a championship horse on the track is very sad, and also very expensive. I’m sure that when the veterinary medicine profession can come up with better early warnings to prevent such tragedies, they will do so. But the purpose of horse racing is not to abuse horses, but rather to glorify them.

[skimask]

Secretiatiat made a FORTUNE for his owners in stud fees. When he died they did an autopsy on him and found his heart was twice the size of a regular thoroughbred. The Big Red Bay was one beautiful race horse.

[Lurker]

Americans don’t eat horse meat, and both plants in the US that processed horse meat for export were shut down by environmentalists.

Like I said....

L

[Eye On The Left]

Another twist in this story is that Eight Belles' trainer won the filly equivalent of the Derby, the "Kentucky Oats", yesterday (Friday) with another filly named Proud Spell. He also used to work the horse out himself as opposed to using a traditional exercise rider. And the guy is no lightweight. He has to weigh close to 200 lbs. I worked around a few racetracks as a teenager and never saw such a heavy person on a thoroughbred. I'm wondering if he and his unusual training methods had anything to do with the horse's injury. In any case, if he HAD won the Derby with Eight Belles, it would have been the first time ever that a single barn won both halves of these two major 3-yr old races in the same year.

[Impy]

Poor horsies. Why don’t their legs heal?

[KJC1]

I don't like horse races, this is why. This horse would be alive today if not for this stupidity. Now she is dead after sustaining a serious and unnecessary injury.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Oh please. These horses would inevitably end up as glue, dog food, or Chinese/European food regardless if they were racing or not.

[Eye On The Left]

Secretiatiat made a FORTUNE for his owners in stud fees. When he died they did an autopsy on him and found his heart was twice the size of a regular thoroughbred. The Big Red Bay was one beautiful race horse.

And remember the nick name for Secretariat? 'Big Red'. Big Brown, Big Red. Looks like this one also has a solid change at the Triple Crown. The Belmont Stakes, at a mile an a half, is most often won by horses with early speed. And BB has a TON of speed of early speed. Yet he still manages to finish powerfully like a closer! In short, this Big Brown is a MONSTER!

[RDTF]

what a heartbreak. Glad I was working and didn’t see it live. Although it hurts just the same.

[RDTF]

what a heartbreak. Glad I was working and didn’t see it live. Although it hurts just the same.

[nina0113]

what a heartbreak. Glad I was working and didn’t see it live. Although it hurts just the same.

The bar we watched it in got real quiet real fast, and no one stayed long after.

[KJC1]

Oh please. These horses would inevitably end up as glue, dog food, or Chinese/European food regardless if they were racing or not.

I wondered what happened to Ron Paul. Now I know!

[skimask]

I was thinking the same thing as I watched the race. And starting from the 20th slot too. Corey Nakatani only had to hit him a few times too. Your right that horse is a monster.

[BIGLOOK]

Indeed he was, Captain. Stud fees from a winner are the owner's bread and butter but his offspring didn't do as well when the costs were factored in.

(Be careful with the tale of the large heart. At the time of the necropsy, Secretariat was nearly 20 years old. No doubt he had the heart of a champion and a good pulmonary/vascular system, but an enlarged heart like that is a sign of old age)

[Eye On The Left]

What a heartbreak. Glad I was working and didn’t see it live. Although it hurts just the same.

It is tragic. These horses will usually try to stand up and continue running even with catastrophic injuries such as the one Eight Belles suffered. It's in their nature. It's like the dog who will run to the point of collapse trying to keep up with the idiot 'walking' him while he's pedaling away on a bicycle. Have to say, I admire some animals more than a lot of people I come across.

[Beatthedrum]

Another sad day, and another black eye for the sport of Kings. Though I can see the bias of the writer, her obvious disdain for the rich and famous who put winning above the welfare of the horses — I think she may be right about the breeding industry, the dominance of certain bloodlines and the resultant physiological changes passed from generation to generation.

The stat she quotes on percentage of horses breaking down, I would think the numbers were less back in the 60s and 70s when the thoroughbreds were not as top heavy and light in the legs. I think there is some credibility in the argument that the genetics of a such a restricted pool of bloodlines is creating horses less likely to weather the rigors of training and racing. It wasn't that long ago that thoroughbreds ran in a race every 15 days (60s).

One of the key elements she didn't mention was the sophistication of the drugs used today in racing. Many horses push themselves further than they otherwise would, but they don't feel the pain until the problem has developed to a critical point. Decades ago, a horse might pull up lame at the earliest sign of pain, where today they will run on until something really pops.

It's a great sport and these horses are incredible animals and overall, I have to agree with the writer of this article - the industry may be breeding itself to death.

[buck jarret]

Big deal. Millions of cows die every day. What’s so different about the death of a horse? To me, nothing.

[cherry]

this is just a question.....but do filly's get put down faster than the colts?....Barbaro had intensive therapy for many months before they gave up on him.....

maybe one broken ankle is a big risk but two is definately a death sentence....I don't know...

[Eye On The Left]

I was thinking the same thing as I watched the race. And starting from the 20th slot too. Corey Nakatani only had to hit him a few times too. You're right, that horse is a monster.

Corey Nakatani was on Colonel John. Kent Desormeaux rode Big Brown. Big Brown, Big Red (it's Secretariat all over again!)

Secretariat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Secretariat won the 1973 Triple Crown, becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years, and set still standing track records in two of the three races in the Series, the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24). Like the famous racehorse Man o' War, Secretariat was a large chestnut and thus was given the same nickname, "Big Red".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretariat_%28horse%29

youtube: Secretariat Belmont Stakes 73' & extended post race coverage:
[he won this final leg of the Triple Crown by 31 lengths!!]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS4f6wiQJh4

[Pajamajan]

"But the purpose of horse racing is not to abuse horses, but rather to glorify them."

Thank you for posting that. Horse racing has many problems. Unfortunately, when you have break downs of live TV, it just adds fuel to the fire for "the usual suspects". That said, I'm still upset about what happened today.

[cherry]

goosebumps just watchting that....thx.....

what a horse!

I kept the "Time" or "Newsweek" front page with his pic for the longest time...then I lent it to my dtr who was into horses at the time and who knows what it is now..