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.