Medina’s death Monday has, obviously, put racing back in the spotlight. It has also provided us opportunities to educate. In addition to the New York Post column I posted about yesterday, I spoke to The Washington Post (here) and CBS Baltimore (here, with video), the latter on Laurel’s current “death cluster” and subsequent (temporary) closing. In addition, yet another columnist, this one at Deadspin, has called for horseracing to end. The progress is slow, folks, but it’s there.
While lots of sympathy and sorrow has been expressed for MS (rightfully so), I still feel more for the low-level claimers who are FORCED to run in races CONSTANTLY. It is beyond SICK. This torture …because that’s what it is, is going down. And you know why … because we as humans MUST be better than this. END slaughter,end the whole bs shit pile. I mean let’s get real …MS, had it much better than the poor soul claimers, and that’s a FACT. We MUST be the protectors of innocent animals!!!!!!!!!!
Good point, Bonnie. Those poor, poor claimers don’t even have a chance. Unlike Medina Spirit, who was fortunate enough to have at least been treated well in SOME ways:(
God knows that the horses exploited as gambling chips definitely need a voice, so if it takes a Kentucky Derby winner to die under the doping regime of a “champion” Thoroughbred racehorse with a high profile “Hall of Fame” trainer to bring it to light to the general public, so be it.
Thank you to all for being the voice for the horses!!!
How many horses does ol’ Baffert have to have come back with dirty tests though, or drop dead, before something is done with him??? And if anything ever happens to him as a consequence, is he just going to go to another breed and pull the same crap like he did going from the AQHA to Thoroughbreds?
On a better note, yes, Patrick, people are finally starting to take notice and speak up. And they’re listening. Thank you for not giving up.
He has already had several horses die from the illegal use of banned substances under his “care” therefore I think it might be possible that he could be banned from racing at some point. If Baffert ever does get banned, it might be more from the bettors’ racketeering lawsuit against Bob Baffert than for the treacherous abuse, torture and killings of so many horses. I don’t know what other breed of horse he could go to because the Arabians, Appaloosas and Paints are not popular enough to make as much money as Thoroughbreds. He might have to go to China and “train” Akhal-Tekes but I don’t expect him to be welcomed. He might go into camel racing. He should be in prison for his criminal activities and violations of laws, especially INHUMANE TREATMENT OF HORSES.
I’m not sure this progress is slow at all, Patrick. Especially after Tuesday’s industry disaster that pushed non-racing voters further toward the side of anti-racing voters.
Obviously, “there’s still much work to be done,” to complete the public rejection of animal racing (not to sound like a lying apologist and/or a Jockey Clubber, or, worse, a CHRB spokesperson when announcing their made-up safety “success” — they always, always say the old, gotta-keep-making-our-kill-count-even-lower line, even as they’re raising it.) But I think the smarmy characters in this antiquated anti-sport are revealing themselves more quickly than ever.
RIP, Medina Spirit. Racing killed you.
Patrick I am a California horse racing board trainer and exercise Rider and advocate for race horse welfare and management reforms. I applaud and support your efforts in behalf of the Young Horses used for racing. Sincere thanks.
Using young and underdeveloped colts and fillies for racing is a major fundamental wrong. I don’t expect this fundamental wrong to be changed other than that horseracing be outlawed, banned, and completely stripped of any kind of government funding.
All horseracing is INHUMANE TREATMENT OF HORSES. Using horses as gambling chips, and DISPOSABLE gambling chips at that, is not in the best interest of the horses and never will be. Starting horses out (TRAINING) at 18 months of age for RACING is one of the most callous and cold-hearted things that anyone can do to horses. Keeping them locked up in small spaces with no outside runs, especially grassy paddocks, is EXCEPTIONALLY CRUEL TO THE HORSES at any age. The list of CRUELTIES TO HORSES exploited for horseracing goes on and on. HORSERACING MUST BE PUNISHED, NOT REWARDED!!!!
The Horse Racing Industry now suffers from “Normalization of Deviants”-a phrase which defined the failure within the NASA space program which lead to the Challenger’s blowing up with several astronauts and a school teacher on board. The heat deflecting tiles of the nosecone kept falling off but they did nothing to stop it because, even though they knew it was “wrong” it became accepted as “normal” because it happened all the time. Constant Race horse fatalities absent trainer accountability, administrative authorities manipulation instead of enforcement of rules are primary examples of the corruption (tiles falling off the nosecone) which is accepted as “normal” in the horse racing industry.
Have you tried contacting FOX news in NY?
They will tell it like it is…those other stations do not
report the real stories. This was another horrible
horse’s death (she was only three years old) too
young; these stupid, uneducated trainers want to give them drugs. They don’t care about this live, feeling being. It’s time to end this savage “sport”.
MEDINA SPIRIT was a colt, not a filly; a he, not a she.
Yes — considering the Media could, if they so chose, expose more about Horseracing — I notice they do very little reporting on the Horseracing issue — yet, they televise the abhorrent races like there’s no tomorrow — thankfully, we appreciate those Outlets that DO pay attention to this vile industry — no matter, thank you for keeping at it — we must.