Over the course of just 6 days at Turfway (Mar 6-14), 23 horses were scratched by the regulatory vet – i.e., their exploiters had every intention of racing them – for being “injured” or “unsound,” another 31 by private vets for being “injured” or “ill,” and 5 horses who were “claimed” (bought) prior to races…

One of the more risible arguments put forth by this increasingly desperate industry is that horseracing merits saving (read: bailing out) because horseracing helps “preserve open spaces.” What makes this all the worse is the severe affordable-housing crisis our nation faces. What’s better, a seedy racetrack (dirty breeding operation) or new housing that normal folks…

The CHRB has belatedly disclosed the training kill of Eiffel at Santa Anita Saturday. They filed this as “other” – which almost always means a sudden death, usually pulmonary-related (i.e., bleeding out from the lungs). Eiffel would have turned four Sunday. This is horseracing.

A bit of good news from steeplechase world… For the first time in almost 50 years, the Winterthur Steeplechase in Delaware will not be run this spring. Using the 75th anniversary of the onsite museum as a reason (pretext?), the organizers said this: “[The steeplechase] has been a tradition for many, and we understand this…