‘It is Incumbent on Our Racetracks to Provide Leadership in the Face of the Current Crisis.’ Letter to the Editor: Gavin Murphy

I wanted to add my voice to the growing chorus, led most recently by Amanda Luby and Lucas Marquardt, bringing attention to the existential crisis we face unless we make immediate and critical reforms to the way horse racing is conducted in this country. In the absence of any national body able or prepared to mandate change, it is incumbent on the racetracks themselves to undertake the requisite reforms. Those reforms need to address the interconnectedness between racetrack surfaces and the equine musculoskeletal system.

Our access to technology and data allows us to understand now more than at any time in our history the causes of catastrophic breakdowns and how to dramatically mitigate them. That is the good news. The bad news (which is incomprehensible to anyone outside our industry) is our continued failure to use that information to inform the way we build and maintain racetracks, and, with the notable exception of Santa Anita, employ available diagnostic tools to monitor in real time the ongoing physical health of our equine athletes.

So far as racetrack surfaces are concerned, there is no disputing the substantial safety advantage synthetic holds over conventional dirt. There is also growing awareness as to why this is, namely the greater loading on a horse's legs when racing on dirt, particularly the ankles and associated structures, which are especially vulnerable to breakdowns. Unless dirt tracks can be built to provide the same level of safety for horses as synthetic tracks, I find myself with those advocating for the wholesale transition from dirt to synthetic. And I do this as someone whose business is built nearly entirely around dirt racing.

I have heard suggestions that dirt tracks can be constructed in a way that makes them considerably safer than they presently are, presumably by reducing limb loading rates to a level comparable to those on synthetic tracks. People making this argument typically point to the surfaces in Dubai and Saudi Arabia as examples of safe dirt surfaces. In the same vein, there are those who advocate for a hybrid surface that combines synthetic components with conventional dirt to improve safety. It is tempting to believe one or both of these arguments (and the Middle Eastern tracks receive positive anecdotal reports) but I am not personally aware of data or scientific learning that supports either.

And this of course begs the question: If we can build better and safer dirt surfaces, either with or without synthetic components, why aren't we? One would hope that each track would have an army of highly credentialled ground engineers (including as part of the track maintenance crew) to design, build and maintain racing surfaces, using cutting edge technology and equipment to make real time adjustments in response to such factors as weather, wind and usage. If this isn't how it works, shouldn't it? And if it does work this way, then we need to concede it's not working well enough and embrace change.

The other related reform that needs to occur is the widescale embrace of diagnostic equipment to identify musculoskeletal responses to racing and training. We know that most catastrophic injuries occur at a site that is already compromised. Fortunately, the last few years have seen the commercial development of equine standing PET and MRI machines, both of which are installed at Santa Anita. Access to these machines allows trainers and veterinarians to identify developing issues and treat them appropriately and have undoubtedly contributed to the decline in fatalities there.  Such equipment should be installed and used routinely at every major racetrack in North America.

We are all aware that our industry has been in decline by nearly every metric for many years, fueled largely by a chronic inability to appeal to a larger audience. We can all debate the structural issues in our industry that have led to this decline but unfortunately, given the persistent and highly public catastrophic breakdowns this year, we are now further away than ever from reaching that audience.  (It is absolutely no defence to this audience to say that overall fatalities are in line with prior years, and nor should it be.) The reality is this; whether or not it should be this way, it is incumbent on our racetracks to provide leadership in the face of the current crisis.

To end on a somewhat hopeful note–we have seen the impact of transformational change in another inherently dangerous sport. The tragic death of Ayrton Senna in Formula 1 was the impetus for an unprecedented investment in safety (involving both racetracks and cars) that has made subsequent fatalities exceptionally rare. Racetracks that failed to make the necessary improvements were removed from the circuit. The return on this investment is clear–Formula 1's mainstream popularity provides a direct counterpart to the sad state of our industry today. Our racetrack executives should be inspired by Formula 1's results to make the same commitment to, and investment in, safety.  Belmont Park's planned renovations would be an ideal place to start, building a significantly safer main track (synthetic if necessary) and acquiring best in class diagnostic equipment for regular use in racehorse care. Failure to do so will only accelerate our decline.

Gavin Murphy

SF Bloodstock LLC

 

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Letters to the Editor: John Evans’s Retirement

by Paul H. Saylor

Over the years I have read a lot of Bill Finley's articles, and his summary of John Evans's work at Lowell Correctional is one of the best (Having Made a 'Huge Difference', TRF's John Evans Retires). It shines a light on not only the man but also the TRF's work to save horses and humans over the last 40 years.

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Letters To The Editor: Jeff Landry

As a young boy, I spent summers mucking out stalls, painting fences, and helping out on my great-uncle's farm. Early in the mornings, his grandson and I could hear him tapping on the door, telling us to wake up and get moving in Cajun French. “Levez, levez!” We'd jump out of bed and ride down to the track to watch the jockeys breeze the horses as the sun was coming up.

Those are memories I fear the next generation might never experience as we battle the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)–legislation slipped into the COVID relief package and passed by Congress in the dark of night to federalize the horseracing industry and give complete regulatory power to a private corporation without consent of the individual states or even input from the horsemen themselves.

Horse racing in Louisiana has its roots in Cajun and Creole culture, where the infamous bush tracks of the 1950s produced some of the finest jockeys in the world. Soon, Acadiana became known as a place where you could start out riding barefoot and work your way up to winning the Kentucky Derby with an entire community to not only cheer you on but also finance the first major racetrack in the region–Evangeline Downs (where the announcer Gene Griffin would say “Ils Sont Partis!”, which means “And they're off!”).

Fueled by this rough and tumble past, Louisiana horse racing has effectively policed itself for over 200 years, evolving over time to meet modern challenges while maintaining its unique identity. It's an industry built with our own sweat and blood, supported by a tight-knit group of horsemen, racing fans, and family businesses. As in other states, we know how our horses handle our unique climate, our tracks, and our footing. We know the history of our bloodlines, the traditions of our sport, and the nature of this industry far better than anyone else.

That hard-won knowledge has created an entire culture within Louisiana, one that has grown from an economic impact of $460 million in 1979 to $1.5 billion today. As Attorney General, it's my job to protect this industry, its culture, and its people. That's why I have been fighting against HISA from the very beginning, even as political players pressured my office to not get involved. But like most Cajuns, when I stand for what's right, I don't back down.

At the core of HISA is this: a handful of wealthy players wish to control the sport through a one-size-fits-all, pay-to-play scheme that will decimate the inclusive culture of horse racing. And while we can all agree that we want integrity and safety in the sport, perhaps it must also be stated that we should never let a few bad actors define the whole. Yet under the guise of “integrity,” the federal government is using the excuse of bad actors to take away the freedoms and liberties of all horsemen while completely ignoring the unique cultures of each individual state and the people who have created it.

As a result, if HISA is successfully enacted, many of those who have been racing horses in their states for generations will be run out of business by ridiculously expensive fees, fines, and other barriers to entry. This will affect breeders, jockeys, farriers, veterinarians, tracks, and supply shops. Entire cultures will be decimated in support of unclear, inconsistent, and oftentimes dangerous new rules designed by political and corporate elites who can't even decide what kind of shoes a horse should wear.

For Louisiana and her people, my Solicitor General Liz Murrill and I took on this battle. We stood up for horsemen when it was neither popular nor politically convenient because we knew that it was the right thing to do. We believe that horse racing should be enjoyed by all–not just an exclusive elite. And our fight is now leading to the U.S. Supreme Court, where a disagreement between two federal courts must be decided. That is why it is absolutely vital everyone stand up now for true integrity in horse racing, for state sovereignty, and for the culture of this sport.

I almost feel like my great-uncle is knocking on your door, asking you all to wake up and fight with us. Place the power back into the hands of the people, where it belongs. I cannot guarantee you a win; but I do believe that the greatest advantage we have are our numbers. So, if the attorney general of your state has joined our coalition in the fight against HISA, please thank them; but if your attorney general is not yet involved, please encourage them to file an amicus brief in support of our cause. And if you run an organization affected by HISA, please join us at the U.S. Supreme Court to voice your opposition to this gross federal overreach.

Now more than ever, your voices must be heard. If we are to protect horse racing, we must take action. And so I say, “levez, levez!” Let's go.

Jeff Landry, Louisiana Attorney General

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Letters to the Editor: The St Leger

A selection of correspondence in response to Emma Berry's Op/Ed 'Long May The Leger Run':

I read your article about the St Leger in the TDN with interest and I agree totally that it would be a great loss to British racing to see the Leger distance changed. When I started training I had horses for Lord Weinstock and Dick Hollingsworth, who only bred middle-distance horses, and I really enjoyed being able to allow their horses the time to develop and mature; they also improved significantly from two to three, so if they showed any real ability at two they were going to be useful at three. 

I remember, in the early days, having two two-year-olds for Dick Hollingsworth and not ringing him for ages, as I didn't know what to say. April came and I rang him one Sunday to say I was pleased with them and they were coming along nicely, to which he replied, “How on earth do you know? I hope you haven't done any work with them.” 

He went on to say that there was no point ringing him before July, as his two-year-olds shouldn't be doing anything before then. Not many owners would say that to you these days!

I love the St. Leger, not only as a test of stamina but as a test of a horse's bravery–they have to be tough to win it. It produces horses that go on and mature, having longevity, which is great for the sport and audience participation.

Best wishes,

Neil Graham
(Trainer of the 1988 St Leger winner Minster Son, now director of racing at Chelmsford City Racecourse)

 

Shortening Classic races, doping, railing against HISA, the US (more than any other nation, in my opinion) clinging to the ridiculous notion that fillies/mares can't compete with colts/geldings simply based on their gender–so many things sadden me in regards to racing these days.  

I don't want any races shortened.  If anything, I'd like to see some lengthened. This is especially pertinent in the US where many 'Classic' filly and mare races are shorter even than their male counterparts. I'd love to see both the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders' Cup Distaff (just to name two) go back to being 1 1/4 races.

One of the brightest spots (again, in my opinion) is Japan. They keep showing the rest of the world what proper breeding and care can produce–and all drug free. They keep my faith and hope alive.

For me, the biggest light is the horse.  Watching these beauties run (especially in the longer races) is what hooked me on the sport and keeps me coming back for more.

Jean B.

 

I read with interest your article of 8th March published in TDN.

This brought back memories because the question of the St Leger distance, and also if it should be open to older horses, was a much discussed question late 1970s and early 80s. In recent years I had just accepted the race as a NH stallion maker. Interestingly, I once read Tony Morris suggesting his love of thoroughbred breeding may not have developed if this had been the case in his earlier years.

I was always horrified by any thoughts of lowering the distance of the St Leger. However, I was never certain my argument was based on anything but being a traditionalist.  Although Peter Willett's argument is sound from a British breeding perspective, the move from the perception I had had in the 1970s that Australian racing was stamina laden to the current sprint-dominated racing and breeding seems to have worked in extreme and ultimately to, what Australians would consider, the detriment of their more prestigious races.

The other point of interest in your article was why a picture of The Minstrel should be on the copy of a June 1980 copy of Pacemaker. The indexing of my literature clearly works better than I thought and note it was a Richard Stone Reeves painting. Incidentally, on the changing face of racing, note the advert for Moyglare Stud selling a draft of yearlings at Keeneland (and they also sold in Europe as I recall).

Kind Regards,

Neville Sibley

EB replies: Yes, indeed, The Minstrel portrait was in regard to the publication of 'Decade of Champions' by Richard Stone Reeves and Patrick Robinson, a really special book.

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