Race horse deaths

Beomoose

is insoxicated
SoSH Member
May 28, 2006
21,388
Exiled
Horse racing itself doesn't get a ton of coverage outside the Triple Crown build-up, let alone the problems with controlled substances and health. High-profile contenders' deaths get some coverage, and Eight Belles happened right in front of the Derby crowd so it was right in the limelight. However I don't recall the fallout from those extending much beyond the Crown season, people just don't seem to care enough even when there is coverage. There's also definitely a money wall the press has to contend with, local news could run a lot of coverage of deaths at local tracks, but it means contending with track owners and horse owners with deep pockets and likely no small amount of influence around town. The LA Times and WaPost can have more success getting around those, and can keep a guy like John Cherwa on staff, but then the story has to compete with everything else those big pubs are covering.
 

luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32,620
Made some news when that HBO Show (Luck?) had to stop being made due to horse deaths.
 
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InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,759
Pittsburgh, PA
If the ASPCA starts to cover it, maybe it'll get traction.

I care, but not a ton. I care a lot more about the welfare of people and their treatment than I do animals. That isn't to say that I condone animal cruelty, which is and should be banned and a crime - but there's only bandwidth for so many things in this life, and if I'm going to get outraged, it's generally going to be on behalf of people.

I have to imagine a similar attitude pervades the general lack of coverage depth.
 
If the ASPCA starts to cover it, maybe it'll get traction.

I care, but not a ton. I care a lot more about the welfare of people and their treatment than I do animals. That isn't to say that I condone animal cruelty, which is and should be banned and a crime - but there's only bandwidth for so many things in this life, and if I'm going to get outraged, it's generally going to be on behalf of people.

I have to imagine a similar attitude pervades the general lack of coverage depth.
I'm always astounded by the number of people who seem to react much more strongly to human-on-animal cruelty than human-on-human cruelty. I mean, what Michael Vick was doing with dogs back in the day was outrageous and cruel, but he achieved a pariah status that any number of domestic abusers (and worse) have not in the NFL - he was approaching, and possibly even exceeding, Aaron Hernandez levels of scorn. Which is to say that I'm not sure the final sentence of your previous post rings true to me, even if I myself am absolutely in agreement with the second paragraph of your post.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
If the ASPCA starts to cover it, maybe it'll get traction.

I care, but not a ton. I care a lot more about the welfare of people and their treatment than I do animals. That isn't to say that I condone animal cruelty, which is and should be banned and a crime - but there's only bandwidth for so many things in this life, and if I'm going to get outraged, it's generally going to be on behalf of people.

I have to imagine a similar attitude pervades the general lack of coverage depth.
I generally care more about cruelty toward animals more, but I can see people disagreeing.
 

75cent bleacher seat

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
I received this from the Humane Society of the United States:

Support the Horseracing Integrity Act

In the 116th Congress, this bill will be introduced by Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Andy Barr (R-KY).

“There has been expressed concern, primarily among examining veterinarians and those who observe the industry, about whether the current medication practices are in the best interest of the horse.”

-Dr. Rick Arthur, Equine Medical Director of the California Horse Racing Board

The Problem

Despite its national and international scope, modern horse racing is still being conducted under outdated state-by-state drug and medication rules. This causes risk to the horses running races; confusion for owners and trainers whose horses race across state lines; and inconsistency for bettors who want to be able to fairly evaluate horses. It’s clear that when it comes to medication, the horse racing industry can’t both promote and police the sport. It needs a national, independent, non-governmental organization like the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to create and maintain a system that protects horses, horsemen and fans.

The Facts

  • Horseracing is a multibillion dollar industry, generating an estimated $40 billion annually and 400,000 jobs.

  • The U.S. leads the world in the rate of fatal racing injuries at 1.89 per 1,000 starts (measured over approximately 310,000 starts).

  • There is an overuse of therapeutic medication that masks pain and enables an injured horse to race when rest and time off would be more appropriate.

  • With a lack of out-of-competition testing, veterinarians and other racing officials have expressed concerns that pre-race exams at racetracks are compromised by the use of drugs that can disguise the unsoundness of a horse.

  • On-track betting and interstate, off-track wagering are the financial engines of the horse racing industry.

  • Many veterinarians, geneticists, regulatory officials and racing fans believe that America’s practice of medicating horses is harmful to the Thoroughbred breed.

  • Congress considered banning drugs in horseracing in 1980, but instead allowed each state to make its own decisions on drugs and horseracing. This has resulted in a patchwork of state laws that encourage trainers caught doping their horses to move from state to state and continue doping and racing their horses.

The Solution

The Horseracing Integrity Act of 2017will ensure equine welfare, protect the integrity of the sport and promote a sustainable and viable horse racing industry in the United States by granting independent control over rule-making, testing and enforcement oversight regarding drugs and medication to a new Authority created by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

USADA – the same agency recognized by Congress as the official anti-doping agency for the Olympic, Pan American and Paralympic sports in the United States – is a national, independent, non-governmental organization with a proven track record of creating uniform standards and science-based oversight to protect the rights of clean competitors and the integrity of competition.

The new Authority, with limited oversight under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), would be comprised of representatives of USADA and members of the horseracing industry, and would be responsible for:

developing, publishing, and maintaining rules regarding substances, methods, and treatments that may or may not be administered to Thoroughbred race horses;

  • implementing programming related to anti-doping education, research, testing, and adjudication to prevent the racing of horses who have been so affected; and

  • establishing uniform rules imposing sanctions, up to and including a lifetime ban from horseracing, for those who violate the rules.


The Act would require that horse racing associations and off-track betting operators recognize the jurisdiction and authority of the independent Authority as a condition of accepting, receiving or transmitting interstate wagers on horse races.

Support for the Horse Racing Integrity Act



This legislation has been endorsed by The Jockey Club, the Breeders’ Cup Ltd., the Water, Hay, Oats Alliance (WHOA), The Humane Society of the United States, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders, the Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association, Meadowlands Racetrack, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, Arapahoe Park, The Stronach Group (parent company to the Maryland Jockey Club, The Preakness Stakes, Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, Portland Downs, and Golden Gate Fields) the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, and many horse owners, track owners, and trainers.

























Myths and Facts Regarding the Horseracing Integrity Act



Myth: Adequate rules and enforcement already exist to prevent doping in horseracing.



Fact: There are no uniform rules to prohibit performance-enhancing drugs and penalize doping violations in horseracing. Almost all American race horses are injected with race day medication, a practice banned by almost all other countries. Trainers can violate medication rules multiple times, seemingly with impunity.





Myth: This bill would create a new federal bureaucracy to regulate horseracing.



Fact: The Act places responsibility for the creation and enforcement of new nationwide rules with an independent, non-governmental oversight authority that may appoint state racing commissions to assist with enforcement, with limited oversight under the FTC. Funding for the anti-doping program mandated by the bill would come from industry, not the taxpayer.





Myth: The federal government has no place in horseracing.



Fact: Federal law already regulates interstate or “simulcast” racing for Thoroughbred, Standardbred (harness), and Quarter horses. This bill would establish a national anti-doping program, managed by an independent, non-governmental authority and would ensure a level playing field wherever interstate wagering on horse races is offered.





Myth: Horseracing groups can solve doping problems without federal legislation.



Fact: Industry groups and state commissions have promised reform for decades. However, since horseracing lacks a national league or commissioner to set and enforce rules, federal legislation that establishes an independent national oversight body charged with developing and enforcing uniform rules is the only viable way to ensure safety and integrity.





Myth: The bill could eliminate the use of beneficial drugs and veterinary care for race horses.



Fact: Nothing in the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2017 prohibits a racehorse from receiving therapeutic care or drugs. Horses should not race when needing such therapy - as doing so can lead to breakdowns, and puts at risk their safety and that of their riders.
 

Gdiguy

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
6,231
San Diego, CA
Sadly, I can just copy the post with a new link

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2828881-arms-runner-becomes-23rd-horse-to-die-since-dec-26-at-santa-anita-race-track?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

Fox 5 San Diego noted Santa Anita reopened Friday after nearly a monthlong closure for officials to implement new regulations and inspect the track.
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,759
Pittsburgh, PA
Maybe we should only have professional sports where the athletes have financial upside to performing, rather than "heads you get to fuck a few more mares, tails you die in agony". Which generally requires having the intellectual capability and physical morphism to both earn and use money.

Like, what is so different between this and greyhound racing, which is being phased out by general moral antipathy? Because the animals' owners tend to be a little richer?
 

Myt1

educated, civility-loving ass
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 13, 2006
41,576
South Boston
We’re probably actively fucking with biology more in the horses, but deliberately beating the shit out of them less?
 

LoweTek

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
May 30, 2005
2,183
Central Florida
I don't know guys, I'd have to speculate there is far more abuse in the pet breeding industry (e.g. puppy mills) and on occasion in the show dog breeding industry than in greyhound racing. Especially in recent years where the bad actors, having been outed many years ago, caused owners to invite oversight and establish, fund and fully support a robust retired racer adoption program. So few tracks remain as it is and with Florida going down in late 2020 there will be far fewer.

In the present, it's seems to be more of a morals issue than an abuse issue, IMO.
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,759
Pittsburgh, PA
that may all be true, but my question was around the notion of, why even have "sports" at all where the athletes aren't people, and thus they're being put under huge physical strain for someone else's financial gain?

Well, at least where they're animals, I guess. I ain't got no problems with drone racing.
 

Jeff Van GULLY

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
4,029
Two more horses dead this weekend at Santa Anita. California horse racing board asked them to suspend operations and they refused. Real ugly stuff.
 

Dehere

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2010
3,143
The board can’t but the governor can. Well-placed friend in racing outside of CA says it’s now a prevalent belief that’s what will happen.
 

thestardawg

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2005
862
Section 38, Row 13
I think the weather has played havoc with their track which is synthetic. They're also supposed to host the Breeder's cup in the fall. Can't imagine it would be a good look for the industry to host that and have a fatal injury to a super house.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2009
46,276
Time to shut this place down for good
Another racehorse died Sunday at Santa Anita Park, making it the third death in three days at the park.

Santa Anita officials confirmed that a horse, which had been training at the park Sunday morning, died but did not immediately provide details.

California Horse Racing Board spokesperson Mike Martin said the horse named Tikkun Olam suffered catastrophic injuries, but the riders and other horses were not injured.
There have now been 42 horse deaths at the park since December 2018.
https://abc7.com/5863435