Letter to the Editor | Horse Racing Free Tips

Drop the Crop: Letter to the Editor, by Dr. David Ranson

We have all been affected by the recent tragedies that have occurred in the racing industry. Whether reading of, heartbreakingly witnessing these horrors on national television, or while sitting with our friends at an event, we have all begun with breathless engagement in the grand spectacle of poetry in motion. We watch in admiration and awe as living, breathing works of art slice through the wind in full flight only to often sadly witness events that cannot be unseen; events that may haunt the recesses of our minds, creating fodder for nightmares to come.

How many of us bite our lips when the full flight of competitors turns the corner at the quarter pole hoping and praying that they cross the wire safely, not having to be destroyed for the sake of entertainment or for gamblers to experience another hit or miss? Upon witnessing these events, people walk away during watch parties, quickly change the channel, walk out of the racecourse on what purported to be a beautiful day at the races and eventually, walk away from the sport.

With no substantial uniform national rules, creating and sustaining entertainment value for a whole new and different culture is one of the many challenges of thoroughbred racing. We have had way too many deaths, irregularities and misinterpretation of rules which contributed to the prolonged delay of naming a Kentucky Derby winner as well as the conviction and possible imprisonment of a celebrated trainer winning an international event for cheating that involved veterinarians as well. Sadly, this is becoming the face of our sport.

With decreasing foal numbers and closing of racing venues over the years, it is no secret that we are not growing. In fact, we are dying as a celebrated sport and as a source of livelihood for thousands. The industry is in the trauma bay, and we need all hands on deck to survive and perhaps be able to again thrive.

Allow me to introduce myself and also offer a possible lifeline to the sport and industry: a lifeline based on physiologic fact that will perhaps quell the rising tsunami that threatens our very existence by supplying a palpable, visual solution while also serving as a public relations tool.

I am a human surgeon by training and a third-generation horseman by choice. My undergraduate degree is in animal and veterinary science which prepared me to enter vet school but I chose medical school and surgery as my primary profession. I have been competing in equine sport my entire life. I have a show horse background and have worked with and for trainers in different disciplines and have achieved world-championship status during my show career. I have been involved in the thoroughbred industry as an owner, principle of a racing LLC, creator of racing and sales syndicates, horse farmer and pinhooker for over 15 years. I have an intimate knowledge of these athletes, how they work and the physiologic machine that allows them to perform at peak levels.

Catastrophic breakdowns and efforts to decrease them are nothing new to the sport . We have traditionally looked at multiple racing surfaces by trying to find the culprit in the infrastructure, and content of the surface on which we run.

However, we have not discussed PROPRIOCEPTION…. what it is and how it works in both the human body and equine athlete. Proprioception permits horses to sense pressures, discomforts, tension and location of their bodies and limbs. It is an automatic feedback mechanism through sophisticated neurological pathways generated by bone and sinew all the while telling the animal where its body parts are in relation to the environment.

Equine sport places unusually steep demands on both horse and rider. Proprioception allows the horse to sense joint angles, muscle length, tendon tension and postural balance. These proprioceptors are nerves that can pick up .002 percent of muscle length and send that information to the horse's brain allowing him or her to make adjustments for gait and ultimately, survival.

Enter the crop. The crop is an age-old tool that has many purposes in equine sport and has been modified on several occasions. But let's face it, it is primarily used as an accelerator. Granted, it causes very little harm to the horse and on most occasions just strikes the saddlecloth. But it is an accelerator for all to see coming down the stretch.

Now consider the physiologic framework of proprioception and the horse's natural competitiveness combined with the concomitant use of the accelerator. Could the accelerator (crop) be a participant in the horse surpassing and overriding his natural proprioceptors, thus causing him/her to extend themselves past the point of bone and sinew? If so, wouldn't it be prudent to omit this piece of equipment to protect the horse from over extending and instead winning the race with his own heart, determination, conditioning, and riders urging, all the while demonstrating to the public that thoroughbred racing takes action, thus easing the ever present threatening public relations issue. Now may be the time to” Drop the Crop.”

David W Ranson, MD, Principle of Equivest Racing LLC

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Letter To The Editor: It All Begins With Churchill Downs

Horse racing is at an existential moment. Just weeks after a series of breakdowns at Churchill Downs cast a shadow over the Kentucky Derby, a wave of horrifying horse deaths at Saratoga Race Course has once again brought questions about safety to the forefront of public consciousness.

This is a tragedy, as every horse that breaks down also breaks our hearts. However, I believe our sport has reached a tipping point, and I predict there will be a Silver Lining emerging from all these tragedies. In the past week, I have engaged with industry leaders, including the current NYRA Board of Directors as well as Dave O'Rourke, NYRA's President & CEO. They are in the process of analyzing relevant data regarding synthetic surfaces and the potential installation at our NY racetracks.

This is significant. As a reminder, the Stronach Group eliminated synthetic tracks from their California venues due to insufficient industry support. Keeneland was also compelled to remove its synthetic course because too many owners and trainers were unwilling to prepare for major races, such as The Kentucky Derby, on synthetic surfaces.

This is precisely why we need the entire industry to embrace change collectively. The New York Racing Association (NYRA), which operates Saratoga, is already a leader in horse safety. These recent tragedies are serving as a catalyst to advance additional safety initiatives, including an increased commitment to investing in transformational science and technology, including synthetic surfaces.

NYRA is currently installing a Tapeta track at Belmont Park, which will serve as the fourth racing surface. In light of the recent events at Saratoga, NYRA is contemplating an expansion of this commitment. Additionally, NYRA quickly adopted measures to enhance veterinary scrutiny, such as requiring a trainer's attending veterinarian to attest to the horse's soundness prior to entry. NYRA will also be investing in the most advanced PET and CAT scan technology to help detect pre-existing injuries before they become more serious.

Track superintendent Glen Kozak and the NYRA team excel in constructing and maintaining the current racing surfaces at all NYRA facilities. They are leaders in the field, even consulted by competing tracks around the country. However, dirt track safety remains an industry-wide concern. The surface is outdated when compared to newer engineered alternatives.

As trainer Mark Casse, who trains the majority of his stable on the synthetic course at Woodbine, points out, “What if we had kept the Model T? Instead, look at what we've done with automobiles, how we've made them so much safer. We're still using a racetrack that's been around for 125 years, and there's only so much you can do for it.”

A mounting body of evidence indicates that synthetic tracks are safer for horses. A study by the University of Kentucky found that horses were less prone to injuries on synthetic tracks compared to dirt tracks. A University of Pennsylvania study discovered that synthetic tracks were linked to a lower risk of catastrophic injuries. Most recently, data from The Jockey Club Equine Injury Database conclusively demonstrates that synthetic courses were considerably safer than dirt surfaces in every year from 2019 to 2022, over three times safer in 2022.

The future of horse racing hinges on a bold collective effort from the industry. However, achieving this requires industry-wide consensus on necessary steps to enhance safety for both the cherished animals and the brave jockeys risking life and limb. A fragmented endeavor, however well-intentioned, is likely to fail, dooming our sport to historical insignificance.

Past attempts to introduce synthetic surfaces faltered, partly due to the industry's collective reluctance to embrace change. The horse racing industry stands at a pivotal juncture and should move together in a unified way to ensure horse safety and industry survival.

I call upon the country's leading racing organizations to embrace science and technology by quickly moving to adopt synthetic surfaces.

This silver lining all begins with The Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs Inc. Board.

Earle Mack was a member of the Board of Trustees, New York Racing Association, Chairman of the New York State Racing Commission, Member of the New York State Thoroughbred Racing Capital Investment Fund and a Member, Board of Directors, of the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund Corp. He was honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit in recognition for a lifetime of outstanding achievement last year.

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Letter To The Editor: From A Young Fan

My first race was two years ago. The 2021 Haskell Invitational S., the summer before my senior year of college. It was the post parade that hooked me.

When “Born to Run” sounded through the grandstand as Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon bounced onto the track, it didn't matter how the race would go. I was in. It was enough to latch onto despite the outrage I felt towards my home-state regulators for an ill-advised whip rule that took down Midnight Bourbon, along with my exacta box.

But though he fell, everyone came home safe that day.

I turned into a racing evangelist, with Hot Rod Charlie at the center of my devotion. I brought my friends along to his revenge tour at the Pennsylvania Derby, where he finally triumphed over Midnight Bourbon. We gutted out another inquiry, after which, I wildly bear-hugged a friend. We'd finally hit that exacta.

I loved racing. My dorm room was littered with Daily Racing Forms. I missed dinner to watch the Breeders' Cup Classic. Ducked into empty classrooms to watch Derby preps at Oaklawn. I drove three hours round-trip to Aqueduct at 8 a.m. on a Saturday to bet the Dubai World Cup because they didn't offer the superfecta on 4NJBETS.

After college I kept it up. In March of this year, I went with my girlfriend–one of our first dates had been at the 2022 Haskell–to Kentucky for the first time. We stayed in Midway, there for “Road to the Horse” at the Kentucky Horse Park. I left in the middle, hiked over to see Funny Cide and Silver Charm in their stalls. One afternoon we walked around Keeneland. Circled the paddock, went beneath the stand and onto the track. It felt like walking on hallowed ground. A few months before, we'd been brought to tears by Cody's Wish's win in the Dirt Mile and dazzled by Flightline's romp in the Classic.

So you know how I felt when I saw Maple Leaf Mel, the undefeated New York-bred, bounding away from a Grade I field as the camera zoomed in on her. She went fast early–44 and two for the half mile–and she went fast late, with a gutsy performance by turning away her classiest opponents yet. She was “six-for-six.” That's the line etched in my mind. It's the last thing I remember hearing from track announcer Frank Mirahmadi before she went down.

It felt like a gut-punch–it was the first time I understood what that word meant. I couldn't think for a few minutes. I couldn't talk. I couldn't watch Cody's Wish run afterwards.

I avoided watching Saratoga after that. But this past weekend I turned on the FOX broadcast for the first time since. It had been three weeks, I reasoned. Enough time to reset my mind. Anyways, my favorite active horse, Arcangelo, was running in the Travers, and I felt sure he'd win. What kind of sport would this be if I couldn't watch it live?

So I turned on the broadcast shortly after 3 p.m. I watched Gunite, under a great ride from Tyler Gaffalione, take down Elite Power along with his eight-race win streak. I saw that the next race was an allowance, turned the broadcast off, went back to my book. But I was back for the Jerkens. I saw the Baffert runners in the paddock, saw Jimmy Barnes sweating bullets. Saw New York Thunder looking flat, his coat dull. I pulled up the replay of his last race. Saw him blaze to victory without changing leads.

It was the post parade now. I kept watching, live on FOX. I even almost made a bet on Verifying, he was looking so muscled-up before the race.

When they burst from the starting gate, I watched New York Thunder stride out on top. He led the way through the far turn. The Baffert runners dropped back, New York Thunder having run them off their feet, each stride pounding the dirt and carrying him away from them. But then I heard Frank Mirahmadi call out the fraction of 44 and two in this $500,000 seven-furlong Grade I sprint for three-year-olds. A punishing half-mile. I shut my laptop. My nerves couldn't take it.

A minute went by. I reopened the laptop, fired up FOX. I hoped they'd come home safe. But then I saw the wide-angle camera shot, saw that the five horse wasn't in the drop-down of the top four finishers. I heard the empty unsteadiness of the commentators. I shut my laptop again, leaned back in my seat, looked blankly out the window.

I watched the Travers that evening, only after I'd known Arcangelo had won and had come back in good shape. I couldn't enjoy it, even after he sailed past the wire. When he seemed to take a bad step in the gallop-out I held my breath, despite having read that he was fine. I wanted to look away the whole time.

That's my favorite horse winning the Midsummer Derby.

I'm drawn to racing, in part, for the history. Today I watched a replay of the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Thirty-five years ago. Personal Ensign running down Winning Colors under the Churchill Downs wire. A hard-won performance from an undefeated champion. It should have been rousing. Instead during the stretch drive, I felt nothing but worry that she might fall.

That's what I see when I watch racing now.

Horse racing fan Isaac Hart lives in Glen Rock, New Jersey.

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`The World Awaits.’ Letter to the Editor from Grant Pritchard-Gordon

Raceday fatalities create powerful news stories anywhere. Social Media has ensured that our world of racing is now a global community, with news and videos dispatched within minutes to knowledgeable audiences in countries far beyond the American shores. However, shock will have reverberated throughout horse communities of many nations at the recent tragedies that have occurred on the racetracks at Saratoga and Churchill Downs. We all wait with bated breath to hear the steps that the major U.S. racecourses will take to remedy a very challenging moment for our sport, industries and livelihoods. It is essential that the boards of the racecourse groups make both speedy and correct decisions, for their actions will impinge on the lives of all horsemen and women far beyond the US of A.

In the past year, nearly every major racing nation has suffered the unwanted attention of idealistic and disruptive 'animal rights' activists. If not actually detailed in agenda meetings, the subject of Welfare has been the elephant in the room for practically every board of directors/trustees of racing and breeding activities around the world. If American racetracks make the wrong decision, then these elephants will grow into dinosaurs for everyone. Maintaining the status quo and traditions of US Racing is unlikely to be an option, for these diligent activists feast on statistics to bend an interpretation to their own agenda. However, there is strong statistical evidence out there to suggest that there is a more acceptable solution, as highlighted recently by Mark Casse and Graham Motion.

There is little doubt that the 'animal rights' activists in Europe or Australia mimic and use similarly informed campaigns to like-minded individuals in America. Their disruptive ambitions will have been reinforced by the horrific experiences viewed by huge numbers of racegoers at Saratoga and Churchill Downs. When the time suits them best, provocative agendas will inevitably be pumped into the world of social media by re-fueled keyboard warriors. A resulting tsunami of unwanted activity will surely ensue at our major racing festivals. US Racecourse boards and executives have the tools in their hands to change the narrative. The world awaits.

Now is the time for the owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, stable staff and associated bloodstock trades of America to make their voices heard loud and clear by racecourses. They have the support from thousands of like-minded and employed people from around the world. The wrong decision from racecourses could create an existential threat to a wonderful global industry and community.

Grant Pritchard-Gordon is a U.K.-based bloodstock agent, and the principal in Badgers Bloodstock Consultants. He is the former longtime racing manager for Juddmonte Farms.

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