In the May edition of Baltimore, a monthly magazine and Maryland institution since 1907, senior editor Ron Cassie presents the best, most exhaustive treatment of racing I’ve seen in years: “The Good Die Young: Grappling with the Moral Ramifications of Horse Racing.” Please read, and share.
Also, I recently appeared on a segment of “Engage,” a production Central Florida Public Media. I was on mostly to talk about the stonewalling (on deaths) by the Florida Gaming Commission, which I’ve written about here. But the conversation eventually turned into a larger talk on HISA, with, unbeknownst to me at the time, HISA head Lisa Lazarus following me on the show. Too bad it wasn’t set up as a debate, but you know she’d never agree to that. Anyway, here it is (hit “Listen” and fast forward to around 15-minute mark).
Kelly, I agree that you deserve an award for listening to someone who is allegedly the one at the helm of an organization that suggests horse racing can be “reformed” while the evidence clearly shows that racing horses is INHERENTLY cruel and deadly to horses.
It’s no surprise that she is adept at saying nothing because there is nothing that can change the evidence OR the reality. Hiding the evidence is all they have. They cannot change the reality of “Horseracing is horse killing!” but they can pretend.
“Not A Fan of Lisa Lazarus” Badges could be passed out like candy.
Thank you, Fred and Joan. It takes what it takes.
Today is the 20th anniversary of when the deception of the racing industry was taken away & opened the truth to me by a special horse in the middle of the home stretch. That horse revealed the truth to me & my family at the time who are no longer with me. That realization & some events later experienced by me had us become anti-racing! Disgust & anger was our reactions. It took us > 20 years to realize the truth! Yea we were slow to figure out the truth. The horse revealed the truth VERY fast & quick.In that few minutes of our last ride on any track for all time after being kept in the dark for so many years. We have been told by our now passed relatives we should write a book about our experiences within this ” crooked , crummy, gamboling game”. I should have listened better to the English born & trained jockey that I galloped horses with in 1986.
My thoughts on Lazarus exactly, Kelly. She says nothing.
U Nailed it Kelly….this whole racket is just too DEPRESSING 🤬
Okay, seriously, I feel like I deserve some kind of award for listening to Lisa talk in circles for what felt like an hour. Again.
It’s not just her unfortunate voice, or her demeanor of false earnestness, or her frequent inflections in the interrogative. It’s that she says less with every word she speaks. If only this interviewer had pressed her on THE main point of the whole segment: “WHICH DEAD THOROUGHBREDS, LISA? WHAT PUBLIC INFORMATION?”
HISA officials haven’t released shit to the public about U.S. TB deaths, and we all know why they won’t; the numbers are just too staggering. So instead of revealing the FACTS, Lisa continues to prattle on about HISA’s (mysterious and misleading) “Horse Safety.”
Oh, but the Ron Cassie “Baltimore” piece was brilliant, as was Patrick’s “Engage” segment. Bravo.
I wonder what people think after they realize they have been deceived by the racing industry for so many years. When they first hear Jennifer Sully or another anti-racing protester tell them 27 horses have died, for example, their jaws may drop in shock and horror but what do they think after they realize that they have been kept in the dark and fed lies for so long?
I would have loved a debate between you & LIsa! That would have made for some interesting questions being asked & points made. Good article in the Baltimore.Could it be some folks are rethinking the idea of Maryland owning & operating the Pimlico racetrack?