Ever since I was 18, the concept
of gambling on horses at racetracks has appealed to me. In the US, horse racing
has become such a big event that it’s considered to be a sport. It’s a sport of
honor, where the slightest slip-up can cost a horse the race, or even their
career. I’ve kept up to date on horses, trainers, and jockeys (riders), and I
consider myself to be “in-the-loop” when it comes to NYRA (New York Racing
Association). That’s why when an article is published in the times that claims
that a very famous horse has chosen not to release important information, I
can’t help but feel irritated.
In the racing industry, the biggest
events are considered to be three races during the summertime: the Kentucky
Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness. If a horse happens to win these
three races, he becomes famous (the equivalent of winning the Super Bowl, World
Cup, and the World Series combined) and receives an award known as the “Triple
Crown”. He collects a massive amount of fame, wealth (for his trainer, jockey,
owner, and himself), and goes down in history as a member of an elite group of
winners. This past year, a horse known as “I’ll Have Another” made a name for
himself. He ran in and won two of those races: the Kentucky Derby and the
Preakness. He was about to run in the Stakes as well, but the media reported
the day before the race that his leg was swollen. He was said to be suffering
from some extreme pain, resulting from a “freak accident”. In time, it was
revealed that the horse had developed tendonitis, and would not be able to run.
As such, the horse was taken out of the race the day before to prevent further
injury, much to the disappointment of everyone.
For weeks after, the name “I’ll Have
Another” brought sadness to the hearts of millions. This horse truly had a shot
at the Triple Crown, but an unfortunate misstep caused him to miss his big
chance. Now however, more than a month after the Stakes, evidence has come to
light that the horse may have been injured well before the announcement/race.
In fact, the horse may have been injured as early as after his first race,
forced to run during the second, and worsened his already-poor condition.
The article in the times states that
veterinary records recently revealed that the horse was X-rayed 4 days after
his victory at the Preakness. The images showed distinct signs of osteoarthritis, a serious condition
for a young horse attempting to train for the Stakes. This was in addition to
the tendon problem, making this seem more and more like a case of animal abuse.
The fact that this was not
released to the media was a complete disgrace. It was depressing to hear this
horse not have a shot at fame after coming so far. It was even more depressing,
as well as disgustingly cruel, to hear that the horse was being given excessive
amounts of painkillers to help him deal with stress of training. It would make
more sense to have the horse rest, relax, and then attempt to gradually bring
him back into his training routine. Forcing the poor animal to run on an
already injured leg only served to permanently damage him, and prematurely end
his racing career.
One can only help but wonder who
would be so cruel as to force a colt to run under excruciatingly painful
physical conditions. Well, the trainer of “I’ll Have Another”, Doug O’Neill, is
infamous in the racing community. He has been accused of using tactics
considered illegal by the NYRA to enhance the physique/performance of the
horse. Despite this, due to his known success with legal methods, the man is
also highly regarded as one of the most experienced trainers in the business. Once
again, O’Neill is under investigation, and the entire racing community is
looking into this case to prevent future incidents of cruelty similar to this
from happening.
Sadly, disgraceful events like this
happen in all fields of athletics. What makes this case so different is that
the runner, the horse, was probably not aware that it was being “jacked up” on
painkillers. He was forced to something which I’m sure he wasn’t ready for. It’s
good to hear that he’s well off now, enjoying retirement. Regardless, I can’t
help but wonder how many more times this will happen, how many more animals
will get hurt, just so that people can gain fame and wealth. Hopefully, the
NYRA will put a stop to these cruel
practices once and for all.
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