Horse Racing Injuries and Fatalities
MKern
Member
There were two disturbing articles that were published yesterday and today about horse racing injuries and death. I love this sport because of the beauty, talent and power of human and equine athletes. But the danger and tragedy of this sport is heart breaking.
From New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/us/death-and-disarray-at-americas-racetracks.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto
Greed is destroying this sport. Horses should not be allowed to race with any drugs in their veins. This industry must wake up to the fact that it needs national regulations. It requires strict rules and harsh punishment to violators.
From Los Angeles Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-horse-deaths-20120324,0,3962011.story
This is bad news for Santa Anita Park where the 2012 Breeder's Cup will be held. They were also having problems when it was a synthetic track. I don’t think the root cause was ever solved.
From New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/us/death-and-disarray-at-americas-racetracks.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto
Greed is destroying this sport. Horses should not be allowed to race with any drugs in their veins. This industry must wake up to the fact that it needs national regulations. It requires strict rules and harsh punishment to violators.
From Los Angeles Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-horse-deaths-20120324,0,3962011.story
This is bad news for Santa Anita Park where the 2012 Breeder's Cup will be held. They were also having problems when it was a synthetic track. I don’t think the root cause was ever solved.
Comments
Atty Karen Murphy said all who signed #StarPlus petition helped case. "Today was a home run for Star Plus. He's going to come home."
NY probe launched into 20 horse deaths at Aqueduct Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Racing and Wagering Board says four industry experts will review the deaths of 20 horses at Aqueduct's thoroughbred race track over the past four months.
They will examine the condition of Aqueduct's inner track and polices on necropsies, pre-race horse examination, veterinary procedures, drug use, public disclosures and claiming procedures.
Board Chairman John Sabini says the task force will "shine a light on the causes behind these tragic breakdowns" and improve the safety of race horses.
They are retired jockey Jerry Bailey, Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations Chairman Alan Foreman and equine veterinarians Scott Palmer and Mary Scollay.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called last week for the New York Racing Association, which has the state franchise for thoroughbred racing, to name investigators subject to board approval.
In case you missed it last week, writing about the @jockeyclub Equine Injury Database for
http://www.forbes.com/sites/teresagenaro/2012/03/15/why-do-horses-break-down-the-jockey-club-tries-to-find-out/
Teresa is one of the best-articles appear in Forbes & others.
18 of the 74 horses (24%) carded for Wednesday at Aqueduct have been scratched.
AQU main track fast. Sun trying to burst through clouds, mid 60s. As mentioned ,18 scratches incl 7 that were 4-1 or less on morning line
It was here that most of the breakdowns happened.
For the rest of the meet, they will not be racing on that track.
And, I read that Aqueduct is building a turf course.
Have not found the Cancel button.
From NJ Star-Ledger
New York commission reviewing deaths of horses at Aqueduct
Updated: Friday, March 23, 2012, 3:15 PM
By The Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. --The New York State Racing and Wagering Board says four industry experts will review the deaths of 20 horses at Aqueduct's thoroughbred race track over the past four months.
They will examine the condition of Aqueduct's inner track and polices on necropsies, pre-race horse examination, veterinary procedures, drug use, public disclosures and claiming procedures.
Board Chairman John Sabini says the task force will "shine a light on the causes behind these tragic breakdowns" and improve the safety of race horses.
They are retired jockey Jerry Bailey, Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations Chairman Alan Foreman and equine veterinarians Scott Palmer and Mary Scollay.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called last week for the New York Racing Association, which has the state franchise for thoroughbred racing, to name investigators subject to board approval.
Thank God Star Plus is coming home. So many TB's do not come home. They end up sold to Kill Buyers and sent to slaughter. This is a part of of the industry that breaks my heart. Not all owners and breeders are responsible for their horses like Mr. Mack is. So glad Ray Paulick brings these awful situations to the forefront with his wonderful Paulick Report. Wish more would be done to stop these unscrupulous people from treating these beautiful, innocent creatures so horribly. Hugs, JB
Thanks so much for posting this story. It's wonderful that Star Plus will finally be OK.
The article is long, but an excellent read!
Fear factor: How jockeys cope with injuries
By Bill Christine
Mike Smith, the 46-year-old Hall of Fame jockey who is close to his 5,000th career win, says that with each new serious hurt, a rider develops fears.
“We’re born with fear,” he said. “There’s no getting away from it. If a rider is not nervous before a big race, then he’s not ready.”
Smith is well equipped to speak to big races, having won 15 Breeders’ Cup races and three Triple Crown races. As for nerves, can you have the yips without having fear? Do five cases of nerves add up to one helping of fear? No matter how it’s sliced, no matter the length of the leap from one to the other, Smith says, “I use what I call nervousness in a positive way. It slows down any rush I might have and helps get me focused on the task at hand.”
A series of interviews, with jockeys both active and retired, with jockey agents and psychologists, indicates that fear on the racetrack depends on whom and when. The common thread, however, is that jockeys know injuries are part and parcel with the game. The threat of a spill is tied to their fears, albeit in varying degrees. Laffit Pincay Jr., once the winningest jockey ever, said he was afraid for only two weeks, as a teenager during his salad days in his native Panama. Like a light switch, the sinking feeling disappeared and never visited him again. Patti Barton, the first female rider to win 1,000 races, said she could tell when another jockey was riding scared. She rode against several who were and had to make adjustments should those fears translate into tentative riding. Angel Cordero Jr., a Hall of Famer and the Grand Intimidator for three decades, once left the country because of a bad dream about a spill. Those who rode against him would never have believed it.
http://www.drf.com/news/fear-factor-how-jockeys-cope-injuries
The toll rose significantly after the Arcadia facility abandoned a costly and troublesome experiment with a synthetic surface and returned to dirt, statistics show
By Alan Zarembo, Los Angeles Times
March 24, 2012, 4:00 p.m.
Horses died while racing at Santa Anita Park at more than double the rate of horses at the state's other three major thoroughbred tracks over the last fiscal year, according to state statistics.
The fatality rate at Santa Anita, in Arcadia, rose significantly after a return to a dirt running surface in 2010 after three years of using a synthetic track, the data show.
Track surfaces are one of several factors that experts say play a role in horses' deaths — a longtime bane of the racing industry. A consensus is emerging among researchers that synthetic surfaces are safer than dirt for racing, though it is unclear whether the same is true for training. Training regimens, racing schedules, breeding practices and the use of medications are also thought to be important variables.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-horse-deaths-20120324,0,3962011.story
Zenyatta is an exception because of the intense care taken for her. I remember some asking HER John why they didn't race her as a 3 years old for Triple Crown contention. He said "She wasn't ready." That showed me that they cared for HER. It was about the horse, not the money. The Jacksons are the same way. I can only imagine the vet bill during the care for Barbaro. To me it seems like an old way of thinking. You race a horse for its talent, not the money. We need more of that.
There is a bigger picture to look at. It will take so much hard work on the parts of breeders, trainers, tracks, and racing associations. But, it could salvage this sport.