Animal Cruelty in Horse Racing

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.