I also care about every horse, especially those old claiming geldings, many of them past stakes winners, track record holders, etc. I care so much that as a fan I hate to see them fall through the ranks and suddenly be at risk, running every 2 weeks or less without breaks. Those horses didn't suddenly wake up and become slow--it is the rigors of racing and wear and tear. After a year helping out on a track watch, I have seen all the stats and the low level claiming races have an immoral (IMO) DNF and breakdown rate. As a fan and a horse-lover, I DON"T LIKE TO SEE THAT!
The few times a year I actually bet, I never, never bet 10K or less claiming. Again, those stats play a part on my conscience. Also, it is too difficult to tell who is sore or running on injury, who will have a "miraculous and sudden" improvement in a new barn, why a horse has suddenly been dropped in class, etc.
Your name-calling of being a snob is unmerited and polar opposite of the truth.
If everyone who is upset about Barbaro, Eight Belles...
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
The problem with blanket statements is they don't take into details like percentages or the fact that smaller animals are humanely euthanized more often than not. I don't think we can really say that of horses. That said, watching any animal (or human) suffer a fatal injury will provoke the full spectrum of emotions.Dave C wrote:The public really doesn't care what happens to the horses as long as it happens out of sight where they don't have to witness it. There are far fewer problems with mistreated horses than there are with abused, neglected, abandoned household pets. The general public however doesn't have to see those problems so they don't raise a stink. Every year we have get a handful of abandoned pets wander into our farm yard, because people got tired of caring for them and lacked the courage to humanely put them down. The humane societies around the world are full of pets that people gave away because they were inconvenient. If the 'public' can so easily dispose of pets with which they shared their homes, it is difficult to believe that they really care about the fate of race horses except to the superficial degree to which on track breakdowns and tv coverage forces them to be a witness.
going4stamina wrote:How many fans and/or bettors want to go see/bet $2500 claimers that are held together with duct tape and Bute? I don't.
Race fans and bettors are two different animals, IMO. Bettors (the kind that go daily) would bet on anything. Maybe that is where the problem rests. The racing industry is dependent upon the money of those that generally are more concerned with the money they lost than the life of the horse that caused them to lose that bet.
drugs
Just ban the drugs. The rest of the world can race without them why can't the USA?
Down here if you bleed, you get a 3mth ban. If you bleed again and your horse has a bit of ability or breeding, then he/she will more than likely be sold to race in the USA. Why is this? Because the USA can use drugs the rest of us can't.
Get rid of the drugs and you will clear up alot of the problems with runners greeting the starter who should not be.
Down here if you bleed, you get a 3mth ban. If you bleed again and your horse has a bit of ability or breeding, then he/she will more than likely be sold to race in the USA. Why is this? Because the USA can use drugs the rest of us can't.
Get rid of the drugs and you will clear up alot of the problems with runners greeting the starter who should not be.