In an article filed on July 22, 2018, Reuters, an international news agency, reported that “Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza broke a bone in his neck” when his horse “collapsed and died during training [on a Del Mar CA track].” Espinoza’s horse was a four-year-old colt.
On June 26, 2019, Joe Drape, writing for the “New York Times,” wrote an account of “regulators” who were watching “live surveillance feed of a trainer's assistant carrying a bucket into the stall of a horse,” and that “a white foam was visible on the horse’s lips” afterward. Syringes were found in the bucket. The horse had most likely been given performance-enhancing drugs.
In his story, Drape cited figures released by the Jockey Club, the breed registry for American Thoroughbreds. “Nearly 10 horses a week on average died at American race tracks in 2018,” he wrote. “That figure is anywhere from two and a half to five times greater than the fatality rate in Europe and Asia, where rules against performance-enhancing drugs are enforced more stringently.” On December 6, 2021, Drape — again reporting for the “Times” — wrote that Medina Spirit, the since disqualified 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, “died Monday after a timed workout” at the Santa Anita track in CA. Medina Spirit was three years old.
When Pat Battuello wrote a piece for “The Washington Post” on October 8, 2019, headlined “Opinion: The time for horse racing has passed. It’s time to outlaw it,” he painted a sad picture. “On Sept. 28, a 3-year-old colt named Emtech sustained catastrophic injuries in the eighth race — both front legs snapped — and became the 32nd horse to die racing at Santa Anita since December. Emtech was euthanized on the track after workers had erected a green screen to block the crowd’s view of a beautiful, broken animal foundering in the dirt.”
Can horse racing in America reinvent itself to stop all the suffering and death? If conditions on European tracks are better, maybe we should duplicate them. European Thoroughbreds mostly race on “turf,” meaning grass, not dirt. If American track owners — who could benefit from additional scrutiny — agreed, they wouldn’t have to spend so much money on dirt or artificial footing. All they would have to do is plant grass. Horse trainers and track veterinarians could also use more scrutiny than they’re getting. Trainers because they suggest to veterinarians that a few of their horses could benefit from illegal drugs, and veterinarians because they go along with those suggestions.
The entire industry needs to agree not to race immature horses. Two year-olds can legally race at some US tracks. Even three-year old horses are still growing, which is why their legs are so fragile. Most racing Thoroughbreds don’t reach their top speed and endurance until they’re between four and five years old.
Confronted with such blatant cruelty, animal lovers react by siding with one of two groups. We have “animal welfare” organizations that support the physical and emotional well-being of all animals. “Animal rights” organizations like PETA support that idea too, but they also believe people and animals should have the same rights. That’s why they object to rodeos and dog shows. As for horses, they don’t think horses should be ridden. They also don’t think animals should be peoples’ pets — no more dogs, cats, or tropical fish. To them, that’s slavery.
The goals of the two groups can overlap — even animal welfare organizations worked to abolish circus animals, especially elephants and big cats performing “tricks.” But beware of the slippery slope. If animal rights activists succeed in banning horse racing, what will they try to ban next? Horses used to play polo? Horses that run but also jump — show jumpers, which is an Olympic sport? Three-day event horses, which is also an Olympic sport? Pony rides?
Joan Fry is a lifelong horse lover and the author of “Backyard Horsekeeping: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need” (The Lyons Press, Revised Edition, 2007). She can be reached via email at joan@joanfry.com.