Family fun from the last couple days at the races:
In the 3rd Wednesday at Mountaineer, “WHIMSICAL KATE broke well and battled for the early lead…gave way inside the eighth pole, used up. VISCIOUS CIRCLE was hard used early vying for the lead, gave way in upper stretch finishing spent.”
“used up,” “hard used,” “spent”
In the 3rd yesterday at Fair Grounds, “D’BOLDEST [who “won”] was coaxed along while off the pace…rallied to the lead…while under a right-handed whip and drew away under strong urging. NILE QUEEN…moved out under a left-handed whip…secured the place…then pulled up in distress on the gallop out and was vanned off.”
“rallied to the lead…under a right-handed whip…drew away under strong urging”
“moved out under a left-handed whip…secured the place…pulled up in distress”
In the 7th last night at Penn National, “RELENTLESS RUSH stayed inside, was put to the whip entering the far turn then stopped after three quarters. DIAMONDSDIPLOMAT was put to the whip while not far back into the far turn then stopped suddenly, pulled up in the stretch…”
“put to the whip”
Sport? Only to the callous or willfully ignorant.
Abuse. Abuse. ABUSE. So racing supporters can continue to be entertained. So bettors can continue to get their gambling fix. So racing industry “employees” can continue in their occupation of choice. Abuse. It truly boggles my mind how this is viewed as acceptable. Even the “norm”.
And FYI, there was no whipping of the willing participants in the b-ball game I attended last night. No whipping. No drugs. No fatal injuries. No career-ending injuries. No handing off of one of the young athletes to another team. No using them up and sending them to a brutal death. No comparison.
Willfully is right, if you give it just a little bit of thought you know its wrong.
Take away the whips, take away the cruel bits, take away the spurs. This isn’t a fun sport – it is a grueling way to kill a beautiful animal. There is nothing pretty about horse racing – the tracks are so long, making the distances just too much for a horse to handle. On steeplechases, they make the jumps ridiculous…something a horse would NEVER attempt in normal life. They just have to ‘push the envelope’ and then hide all of the greed under the guise of ‘it’s a sport’. It is a sad, disgusting, horrid way for many a beautiful animal to come to a painful and tragic end.