The following letter was sent to Bob Costas, host of NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage. To date, no reply. The sentiments expressed, of course, are applicable to all at that network, but most especially to Jon Miller, president of sports programming. Since my letter was mailed, an article in Sports Business Journal quotes Miller as saying: “Horse racing is an underappreciated and undervalued property that we were committed to growing and developing, and restoring to its status as a major sport in this country.” At once, repugnant (referring to the wholesale killing of horses for $2 bets as “sport”) and delusional (the U.S. racing industry is not coming back). Anyway, please read on.
Dear Mr. Costas:
My name is Patrick Battuello and I am the founder and president of Horseracing Wrongs, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to ending horseracing in America. First, let me say that as a life-long sports fan I have always respected your work. You are knowledgeable, eloquent, and thoughtful – truly one of the finest broadcasters of this or any generation. As a result, your words and actions hold great sway. Most recently, your stance against the NFL’s handling of the brain-injury issue and, more broadly, your detachment from football itself is both weighty and admirable. But your support and enthusiasm for horseracing is, I feel, profoundly disturbing, all the more so because of those aforementioned qualities.
I would like to share some information you may or may not already know. Since 2014, when I began filing FOIA requests with state racing commissions, I have been publishing first-of-their-kinds “Killed” lists – confirmed deaths on U.S. tracks. These annual lists have been roughly 1,000-strong, but after considering various factors (which I enumerate on the website), I have come to conclude that upward of 2,000 American racehorses are killed racing or training every year. Over 2,000. And this is not just a “cheap track” problem: Last summer, 21 horses died during hallowed Saratoga’s decidedly brief meet. The two summers prior, it was Del Mar. Truth is, there are no answers – death at the track is, always has been, and always will be an inherent part of this industry (please see “The Inevitability of Dead Racehorses”).
In addition, countless others, perhaps just as many as those killed on-track, succumb to what the industry conveniently dismisses as “non-racing” causes – things like colic, laminitis, “barn accident,” “found dead in stall.” In truth, however, these animals are no less victims of the business than the ones who snap their legs on raceday. Furthermore, the prevailing wisdom (fully explained on the site) is that most – likely an overwhelming majority of – retired racehorses are brutally and violently slaughtered once Racing deems them expended. In short, I don’t think it hyperbole to say that the U.S. horseracing industry is engaged in wholesale carnage. Yes, carnage.
As an animal advocate, I seek to draw parallels between “us” and “them” – to help people forge connections they may not have previously thought existed. That said, I can certainly appreciate that although we share much with the rest of sentient creation – the most relevant being the capacity for suffering – an exact equality is neither tenable nor necessarily desirable. In other words, I am not saying that a CTE-afflicted former football player and a “broke-down” racehorse are the same things. But the question is not whether dead horses and dead people matter equally; rather, do dead horses matter at all? If they do, what level of destruction must be met before we as a society say, enough? For me, of course, one dead horse for $2 bets is one too many. But what, respectfully, is that number for you?
Mr. Costas, I implore you to dig deeper, to look beyond the juleps, hats, and horns, for that is racing on but a handful of days, at a tiny fraction of tracks. The rest of it, Racing’s very core, is ugly and mean. It’s spirit-crushing isolation and confinement for over 23 hours a day (which, by the way, makes a mockery of the industry claim that horses are born to run, love to run); it’s needles and syringes and injury-numbing chemicals; it’s absolute control and utter subjugation – lip tattoos, nose chains, metal bits, leather whips; it’s anxiety and stress (in the most detailed FOIA documentation I have received to date, the Pennsylvania ’16 report indicated the presence of ulcers – most extensive to severe – in virtually every one of the dead horses); it’s buying and selling and trading and dumping; it’s shattered limbs, imploded hearts, head trauma, and pulmonary hemorrhage; it’s kill-buyers and transport trucks, shackles and butchers’ knives. It’s exploitation and cruelty, suffering and death.
Football may indeed be embarking on a slow, steady decline, and it’s probably just as well. For it is a violent, unforgiving game, with many of the participants’ lives forever altered. But in the final analysis, they, as fully-autonomous human beings, have a choice. Horses do not. In fact, and pardon the inflammatory language, the racehorse is but a simple slave – a thing to be used, a resource to be mined. When future generations cast a critical eye, what is to be our collective defense? That we countenanced the above for entertainment? For gambling? Mr. Costas, your position on football has changed – evolved. We ask only that the same thoughtfulness and caring that went into that be applied to “The Sport of Kings.” Please, for the horses.
Sincerely,
Patrick Battuello
Founder/President, Horseracing Wrongs
website: horseracingwrongs.com
email: patrick@horseracingwrongs.com
If Mr. Costas reads your letter, Patrick, he cannot NOT respond – unless he is without a heart and a free-thinking mind.
Excellent letter – your commitment to our nation’s racehorses is appreciated so very much. Thank you!
Thank you, Patrick.
Excellent! Thank you.
Beautifully written
Thank you, Patrick. Excellent, compelling letter.
Terrific and well put!
Brilliant … I hope this reaches more than just Bob Costas
Great letter I am sure it won’t help but you did great
Thank you as always, Patrick, for being an eloquent advocate for these voiceless animals.
Such an articulate, excellent letter in the hope of ending horse racing! If folks love horses,–truly love horses, they should boycott this big industry. Thank you, Patrick!
Beautiful — so well-written — so much info — e.g., I had no idea horses were confined 23 hrs per day — I’m stunned, as I read — Patrick, from your lips to God’s ears to Costas’ heart and mind. — How so true : if he can do it for Football, he MUST do it for the horses. — PLEASE Bob Costas, do it for the horses.
Well written Patrick. FYI. The Pegasus Foundation wrote long ago that the racing industry is a major contributor to the slaughter industry.
It would be great to send this wonderful letter to the sponsors of the Kentucky Derby: https://www.kentuckyderby.com/uploads/wysiwyg/assets/uploads/2018_Official_Sponsors__March_20_.pdf
Great idea
Thank you Patrick, excellent letter. Have been to the derby and some Breeders Cup races but won’t go any more. Can’t stand the racing but still love the horses.
Thank you Pat. Always so eloquent, concise and accurate. Any decent person would be astounded by the truth. Reasonable person would support the end of horseracing. I hope you planted the seed in Mr. Costas.
Succinct, factual, and powerful letter – thanks for being a voice for the voiceless racehorses Patrick, and thank-you for providing this blog/forum for people who truly care about racehorses.
It’s obvious that you spend tireless hours, and dedication to gathering the facts as posted herein.
It’s our duty as a horse loving community to support your efforts, educate people on the nasty truth, and expose this business for what it is: VILE!
Bob Costas, if you read this, please speak out – the racehorses need your voice now more than ever.
The racehorses are saying “Thank you, Patrick for speaking up for us. You are our only hope as our so-called carers don’t give a damn about our welfare and we’re literally dropping like flies.”
Please, for the horses……for that is why we are all here…. accountability where is it?….thank you patrick for your knowledge wisdom giving us all a place to share facts truths and feelings for the time spent and the die hard dedication you have….thanks to all who stand up and fight for these horses that dont have that luxury
Patrick, here’s more fuel for the fire to combat/end racing. We are with you!!!
http://borntodie.org/
aws,, thank you for the reminder of this cruel appendage to the racing industry.
A foal is abandoned to suffer and die so another foal can survive to be abused and later abandoned to the slaughter truck in the not too distant future. Evil.
Thank you Mr. Battuello for your letter. A group of people, many friends, have become very concerned over the treatment of race horses. There is a group who are dedicated to saving “thrown away” race horses. Not only do they abuse them on the track and in the stalls, but when they can no longer perform, they are sent to the kill pens, killed, and sold for horse meat. Is making money that important to the racing industry? A group that I am acquainted with have saved several from that horrible death. Instead of selling them to the kill pen, why do they not make an effort to find homes and give the horses to people who will love and care for them? There are too many mistreated and starving. How can any sane human do this and live with themselves? I feel that racing should be outlawed completely until people can act like humans.
Great letter, I hope and pray it is heard!
All we need do is to spread the word and reach that market which frequents HORSE racing — we want to bring those numbers down — it seems that only this will ensure Horse Racing be obliterated — if those cruel, unconscionable individuals in this brutal business haven’t listened up until this point, do you really think they’re going to begin NOW! — Again, spreading the word, reverberating the suffering and torment these majestic animals undergo HAS TO make a difference — thus, we’ll save our sweet, beautiful horses.
Murder..just plain murder.. extremely cruel..
So very well written, and hopefully, Mr. Costas will read fully and respond in full. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to this cause, you are putting things into words the rest of us struggle to speak out loud, and I, for one, am so thankful..
Thank you Patrick for a poignantly written letter that describes the truth.
Incredible Letter Patrick !!
Thank You !
Well Patrick, I don’t know if Bob Costas ever replied to your letter, but he certainly won’t be hosting horse racing anymore because NBC has the contract, and he’s no longer employed there:
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/more-sports/after-40-years-costas-and-nbc-sports-call-it-quits/ar-BBSlx9i?li=AAggNb9&ocid=mailsignout
One less mouthpiece for horse racing, but somebody else will probably fill his shoes.
And Vyjck is back in training!!!’
The 9 yr. old GELDING and winner of 1.4 million was taken out of retirement in the hope he will bring in more $ for the greed consumed connections. It seems 1.4 million is not nearly enough and he is now costing money.
He probably will wind up in the claimg ranks. They want money not spend money. So what to do?Why, they bring him back and with luck he will be claimed – good deal!
Let’s keep track of him.
( Virtual Stable candidate)
Thanks for sharing Rose.
This example alone shows the heartless, callous, human sucking parasites that are in this vile business.
These people absolutely sicken me.
They have no moral compass whatsoever to do this to VYJCK a horse that has made 1.4 million dollars.
Like I said, greedy blood sucking human parasitic scum bags.
Equally disturbing, are the apologists who claim to “love” and “care” for racehorses while they stand back and watch this cruelty and inhumane treatment of a champion horse about to be set into motion.
Yet, they do nothing.
Every single one of them – blood sucking human parasites.
VYJCK – so sorry for you pal.
Correction: Vijack !!