When Sigh You was euthanized after breaking down, running after having been
beaten more than 85 lengths in his previous 2 starts, he became the 8th animal
to be euthanized at NYRA in calendar year 2009. This is an astounding and
disheartening number, and of course the public is usually not informed when
horses suffer fatal injuries during morning training hours.
In this current economic crisis/worldwide recession/Depression II, the
likelihood that thoroughbreds who are no longer competitive will enjoy a
happy retirement becomes less probable. Kudos to the CD folks for following
Suffolk\'s lead in trying to prevent thoroughbreds from ending up in the
slaughterhouse, but there is not much anybody will be able to do when horses
who are no longer useful are simply abandoned, a situation which Girly brought
to light a couple of months ago.
I must have missed the statement that Charles Hayward of NYRA had to have made
commending Churchill\'s safety initiatives (including the anti slaughter
provision and rules preventing 2YOs from competing before they actually reach
the age of 2). I missed the statement which Hayward must have made commending
Churchill\'s initiative, saying that NYRA was studying said initiative, or even
better that NYRA was adopting the Churchill safety program as soon as feasible.
Eight equine fatalities in what -- 40 racing days? 50? One equine fatality
every five or six racing days? Eight terrified animals sacrificed to put on 40
or 50 race cards which have been so consistently awful that NYRA\'s 25 year
extension (and the feasibility of NY winter racing) really needs to be called
into question.
What is behind this incredible carnage? Even the grandest blueblooded champion
thoroughbreds were incredibly fragile, so what can be said of the products of
our current grossly expanded and poorly managed breeding pool? Is it a poorly
maintained racing surface? Is it performance enhancing or pain masking
medication regimens? Is it the fact that a lot of the trainers licensed by NYRA
couldn\'t train a frat boy to open a beer can? Are the state veterinarians doing
their jobs? Are the stewards doing their jobs? Where are the voices who should
be more outraged than mine, being that their livelihoods depend on equine
health? Are the Racing Form and The BloodHorse and the Thoroughbred Daily News
on top of this?
Maybe the thoroughbred talent pool at NYRA is so fragile that six furlong dirt
races are too demanding for a large portion of the winter equine population.
Maybe the mortality rate will decrease when we can get these runners back into
those 5-1/2 furlong turf sprints.
Not to pick on NYRA, the same equine attrition seems to be ocurring at Turfway
and at the California tracks.
Two nice stakes races on the Inner Tube tomorrow. If I wager on a NYRA race, am
I underwriting equicide?
