Positive Force for Change in Racing Industry

[Whirlaway]

Sometimes you don’t know if reporting on an issue has made a difference. Let’s look at the Bob Baffert situation in California. From November 2011 until March 2013, at least seven horses in his barn at Hollywood Park died from some internal issue – not a broken leg but heart attacks, internal hemorrhage, whatever. Three publications that became aware of these extraordinary numbers – the New York Times, Blood-Horse, and Paulick Report – filed open records requests, examining necropsy reports of deaths, and all three publications published a story on April 10 of this year, coinciding with a California Horse Racing Board meeting where sudden deaths were discussed. Since those reports were published, Baffert hasn’t lost a single horse to sudden death. Seven deaths in 16 months before stories were published. Zero deaths in the eight months since then.

Is that a coincidence? I don’t think we’ll ever know. But I do think, without the pressure from the media, the CHRB – which in April was denying that a problem existed – would not have conducted as thorough an investigation as it did.

Those of us who do this aren’t in it to cause trouble or win awards or make friends in the industry. We are trying to make change.

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/investigative-reporting-a-positive-force-for-change-in-racing-industry/