It has been one other devastating month for horse racing. Even probably the most hardened racetrackers wanted a couple of minutes to collect themselves when Maple Leaf Mel, steps away from a primary Grade I, broke down within the Take a look at at Saratoga on the Whitney undercard. It was an analogous story on Saturday when the unbeaten New York Thunder, seemingly on his solution to a spectacular victory within the GI H. Allen Jerkens, went down in mid-stretch and, in entrance of a crowd of 48,292, was humanely euthanized. It was the second fatality on the cardboard, after Nobel (Ire) was put down following the day’s fifth race.
Certainly, the numbers at Saratoga this meet are harrowing. New York Thunder was the eighth racing fatality. At the very least one other 4 have died throughout morning coaching at Saratoga, bringing the full to 12. All 12 have been skilled by completely different trainers, together with a few of racing’s most revered names–Christophe Clement, Graham Movement, Brendan Walsh and Kenny McPeek, amongst them.
Racing, it appears, simply limps from one tragedy to the subsequent.
It did not, and does not, must be like this. We have recognized for almost 15 years how you can cut back catastrophic breakdowns by 50% or extra: artificial tracks. I do know these numbers have appeared within the TDN in current months, however they bear repeating. In accordance with The Jockey Membership’s Equine Damage database, from 2009 by means of 2022, there have been 6,036 deadly accidents from 3,242,505 begins on dust through the course of racing in North America.
That is a charge of 1.86 per begin. (These numbers do not embrace fatalities that happen throughout morning coaching.)
On synthetics, there have been 534 deadly accidents from 482,169 begins, a charge of 1.11. That is a 68% distinction. Put one other approach, had dust tracks matched the protection of artificial tracks throughout that stretch, there would have been 2,437 fewer fatalities.
Regardless of nice progress being made in California lately, the final two years have been much more placing. In 2021, the dust charge (1.51) was greater than twice the artificial charge (0.73). In 2022, it was greater than 3 times (1.44 vs. 0.41). At Gulfstream final 12 months, there have been eight fatalities from 5,886 begins on dust, a fairly respectable 1.36. However on its artificial observe? One fatality from 7,085 begins, or a charge of simply 0.14.
These stats present not simply how a lot safer artificial tracks are, but in addition illustrate why those that blame permissive medicine or breeding developments are incorrect. You merely would not see this stark a distinction between surfaces if these have been the driving components in racing fatalities.
As unhappy as it’s, if racing continues this business-as-usual method to racing surfaces, it is not exhausting to check how all this ends: the tip of the game in all however a couple of elements of the nation.
Most anybody might sketch the define: the drumbeat from animal rights teams and unsympathetic media protection will get loud sufficient to persuade politicians to embrace both poll referendums or the pulling of slot subsidies. The previous, because it did with greyhound racing–now unlawful in not less than 42 states–kills horse racing jurisdictionally. The latter upends the game’s economics, depleting purse accounts and turning racing really into the Sport of Kings, with small stables merely unable to justify the funding. Crop measurement, down from 40,000 in 1990 to roughly 17,000 final 12 months, plummets additional. Small breeding and stallion operations falter, with solely the biggest farms capable of soak up the blow. Racing finally turns into an enterprise primarily based largely round Kentucky and New York tracks. However once-popular tracks in Florida, California and Louisiana shutter. All of the whereas subject measurement dwindles and the betting product turns into much less fascinating.
This will take a decade or two, however we have been seeing this play out in actual time, and if I used to be approaching 30 and never 50, I might be very nervous about my long-term prospects within the enterprise.
Which brings us to racing’s capability to draw folks to it, be they horseplayers or house owners or staff.
Each individual studying this, and each fan and present handicapper, myself included, has consciously or not determined {that a} sure stage of catastrophic breakdowns is not a disqualifying issue to our involvement within the sport. We acknowledge it’s tragic and we mourn, however on the finish of the day we conclude that our love of the game and the animals themselves trumps that loss. However some in racing appear oblivious to the truth that there are a lot of others who do not come to that conclusion; who’ve heard in regards to the breakdowns at Santa Anita or Churchill or Saratoga and determined to do one thing else with their Saturday afternoons that does not probably contain the loss of life of an animal. They go to the mall, they go to the on line casino, they spend their disposable earnings elsewhere. The outcomes of this are fewer folks on the observe or watching from dwelling; fewer potential handicappers; fewer potential house owners; fewer potential followers; fewer potential staff. And since there isn’t any solution to measure this, it is easy to faux it is not occurring, that jackpot wagers and dangerous recommendation from pundits and, sure, CAW wagering, are racing’s greatest issues.
However speak to your family and friends outdoors of racing. Ask about their impressions. It is a fairly protected wager that animal welfare might be the very first thing they create up, and it is exhausting to consider that this is not an enormous obstacle in attracting new followers. In current weeks alone I’ve had a number of conversions with non-racing buddies in regards to the breakdowns at Churchill this previous spring. A good friend from NYC made the journey to Saratoga on Whitney Saturday and we spent the day texting about who to wager. After the Take a look at, she texted, “Ah shit. I feel that is it for us.” She and her husband left the observe earlier than the Whitney. In fact they did. How many individuals left earlier than the Travers Saturday?
Racing’s leaders have by no means cared to be vocal about this situation. This could’t proceed. As a result of if the present Saratoga meet has taught us something, it is that we do not have a viable sport if we routinely break the hearts of our prospects. And we will not appeal to new followers if folks suppose we’re not doing all the things we are able to to guard our equine and human athletes. And proper now, we aren’t.
Lucas Marquardt is the proprietor of Thoro-Stride and a former author for the Thoroughbred Each day Information.
