Eight Belles, horse-racing and PETA: Let’s be honest
By Gina Spadafori
May 7, 2008
I don’t have a problem with PETA advocating for animal rights, although I do not agree with their agenda which, if followed to its simple, logical conclusion, would mean the eventual end of all domestic animals, including pets.
This is America, after all, and you can advocate for any point of view you want. What I have long had a problem with is PETA jumping into every animal-related issue and neglecting to mention that agenda, which is, in PETA’s words, that “animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment.”
That’s why, like Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly, I have a problem with PETA demanding the reform of horse-racing, when in fact what they surely want is abolition. I felt the same way when PETA showed up in support for the Michael Vick dogs, even though PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk has written in favor of pit bull bans. Again, she’s entitled to her opinion, but her organization needs to be consistently open about these views in their outreach to animal lovers, especially the majority of us who don’t share them. This is even more important when fund-raising is involved.
As it stands, what PETA has put out regarding horse-racing is disingenuous.
On Dolittler, Dr. Khuly writes in response to a PETA e-mail (which she reproduces in her post):
1-How does sanctioning the jockey fit into this? Since Sunday when this news broke (sans e-mail), I’ve been marveling at PETA’s dumbfoudingly ridiculous jab at the jockey. What’s that all about? Almost all those jockeys whipped their horses. Why not call for a uniform suspension of all jockeys?
2-And the trainer? Show me one that bests Big Brown’s for his well-documented, disgusting, horse-doping behavior. After examining this guy’s pedigree, you’ll never convince me that Eight Belles’ trainer deserves a special sanction over all the other guys in his field—just because his horse was the one to go down.
3-And finally, am I really to believe that PETA seeks to reform the sport? If their approach to pets is any measure, it’s clear to me they’d love nothing better than to see the entire shebang shut down overnight and its animals summarily dispatched by a bevy of vets wielding pink juice.
But they don’t say so. Nope—they won’t. They’d rather have you believe their aims are to make the sport safer. Their target? The average animal lover who wants to believe they’re helping animals wherever they can…even if it takes sending PETA a few bucks to help make it happen.
Look, horse-racing has had years — decades, really — to work on its downward spiral, and it hasn’t. Let’s take it all the way back to the first time it lost lots of fans: The day Ruffian died. And then … Go For Wand in the Breeders Cup (worst catatrophic breakdown I’ve ever seen) … more fans gone, unable to stomach the carnage. Barbaro, of course, and now Eight Belles. Plus thousands and thousands of cheap claimers no one ever paid attention to, dying on the days when you could count track attendance in the hundreds, not the hundreds of thousands as on Derby Day.
Instead of reforming, American horse-racing chose to look the other way on rampant drug use that keeps horses who shouldn’t be running on the track. It chose to embrace and accelerate the “quick return on investment” trends by concentrating faster, more fragile breeding lines, and by pushing young horses to the breaking point, literally. It stuck to its BS traditions instead of actively seeking changes that would make the sport safer for horses and jockeys alike, such as moving away from fast, hard dirt tracks towards more racing on turf and synthetic tracks.
Instead of working to keep or even grow a base of fans, racing decided to double-down on a losing bet, chasing a smaller and smaller pool of dying off horse-racing gamblers (younger gamblers play online poker or go to casinos) and demanding of state legislatures that racetracks be allowed to put in slot machines to prop up the falling profits.
Much as I loathe PETA’s opportunistic concern for race horses — where were they the day before the Derby, when I was writing about these issues? — horse-racing brought this on itself. They had a chance to make changes after Barbaro, but they haven’t done much. (Especially with regard to drug use … nada.)
Horse-racing is not getting it even yet, but they’d damn well better, and soon.
Unlike PETA, Dr. Khuly and I truly are calling for reform, not secretly hoping for an end to horse-racing. You can start by refusing to watch any more Triple Crown races. And letting the tracks, the networks and the sponsors know why.
I thought that PETA initally blamed the jockey because they thought the horse had indications of trouble before the final breakdown. It is known that Barbaro’s jockey heard something and immediately stopped the horse. However, that’s evidently not the case here. From reading other blogs, PETA’s involvement is now a negative.
I agree with this commentary wholeheartedly. However, we are so $$$ driven in this country that unless tough regulations are enacted it will be business as usual on the racetracks of the US. Of course, the horses will be the ones to suffer. No more horse racing for me and my family until they clean up their act.
Comment by Carol — May 7, 2008 @ 11:08 am
I saw the race.
Eight Belles looked so good at the finish line that her trainer was jubilant at her performance and heading down to the track to reclaim his filly with pride and joy. Trainers with this much experience can spot a problem a half-mile away.
Her jockey would have pulled her up if he could have. But she broke her legs so abruptly and fell so quickly that he landed on the track a good 20 feet ahead of her. I saw this, too. There was nothing he could have done, and he’s lucky he didn’t break his neck.
Gabriel Saez is a young jockey — 20 years old — but he rode in 476 races in 2007 and more than 150 so far this year. That’s enough to know when something is going wrong and pull up if you can.
It’s reactionary ignorance to blame the trainer or jockey. People always want an easy explanation, but sometimes there just isn’t one.
Racing needs overall reform, not the witch-hunt of a single trainer and jockey.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 7, 2008 @ 11:29 am
Good piece.
Peta (like the H$U$) just piggybacks onto whatever is in the news in order to a) pretend they care about animal welfare and b) rake in some more money from soft-hearted people so they can keep up with lobbying, contributing to political campaigns and manipulating the media.
If they were ever completely open about their true agenda they’d be out of the game in short order.
I’m wondering if there was a rock or something under the dirt that cause the horse to trip, but I’m sure they investigated that at the time.
Comment by Caveat — May 7, 2008 @ 2:51 pm
PETA had that jockey tried and hanged before he even hit the ground. Their view seems to be either he felt something but decided to whip her to her death to finish the race or he didn’t feel anything BECAUSE he was whipping her and she was too frightened to show any signs. PETA is a see-through, limelight grabbing, animal killing, money grubbing machine. O and I hope that dumbass lawyer of theirs is reading.
Comment by slt — May 7, 2008 @ 6:34 pm
Ruffian is the one I saw break down on TV, which cured me from ever following racing again.
I remember all the hype, but most of all remember her tragic death.
Comment by Marcy — May 7, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
Another call for reform.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....er060.html
Racing needs to turn tragedy into reform.
And if it doesn’t do something about it, the sport will become too unbearable for the average fan.
[NOTE FROM GINA: THE LINK GOES TO A PICTURE OF EIGHT BELLES WITH HER INURIES.]
Comment by kb — May 7, 2008 @ 10:46 pm
WARNING: The link above also has a picture of her down.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 8, 2008 @ 5:51 am
That was a good piece, though, despite the money shot.
Comment by Dr. Patty Khuly — May 8, 2008 @ 8:45 am
Which are the specific organizations in need of reform? How would thoroughbred breeding be regulated? How is drug abuse monitored? Is it track by track or is there an official national testing organization. Would it take an act of congress to change track surfaces or do we start lobbying state by state? I guess after reading through all the posts (and no I don’t want to see the end of racing and yes I do want to see reform) I’d like to know specifics. How do we really make a difference? I’ve never spent money on horse racing so a boycott by me will make no difference. So, what else can I do?
I follow cycling, which has been rife with drug abuse and corruption for decades. It’s one of the most tightly regulated sports in the world, yet they can’t manage to clean it up. Horse racing is much bigger, so where do we start?
Comment by C.L.H. — May 8, 2008 @ 5:07 pm
I’m no fan of PETA either, although I will give them credit that they are good at using the media and keeping issues in front of people. I’d never send them any money, but actually I think it’s good they have jumped on this. These problems in the TB industry need lots of ongoing publicity in order to promote change.
Comment by Mary — May 8, 2008 @ 6:44 pm
I’m sorry and apologize for not including a warning that there was a photo with the Seattle Times article. I hope I didn’t upset anybody.
Comment by kb — May 8, 2008 @ 10:15 pm
I’m learning to keep the mouse ready with the “Back” button when I click on these links, so as soon as I realized there was a picture there, I backed out without more than a quick glance. Just wanted to save anyone else who might not be so prepared!
(For two days I wouldn’t go to Salon.com because they had the picture front and center on their homepage.)
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 9, 2008 @ 5:52 am
Larry and Cindy Jones are members of my family. I was with them at the finish line on Derby Day when Eight Belles passed us behind Big Brown. We left our seats to make our way down to the Winner’s Circle to unsaddle and check Belle, completely unaware anything had happened. When she crossed the finish line, ears up, her head totally in the race. There was absolutely no sign of distress.
Larry and Cindy Jones have one of the best reputations in the business when it comes to the care, training and affection they have for all their horses. They would not have run Belle if they thought she did not belonged in the race or if she had any type of impariment. They have never been suspected nor have they ever used drugs with their horses. Gabriel Saez rode Belle perfectly, he did not abuse the crop and if you look at the final quarter of the race, you will see the crop was only used to position Belle for advancement and to keep her off the rail.
PETA has slandered my family and my friend Gabriel with baseless accusations. In my heart I feel they immediately realized an opportunity to seek finanical donations (emails sent to thousands seeking contributions immediately after the race). PETA has done wonderful in the defense of animals, but these emails completely discredit their denials they were not in this for finanical gains.
Eight Belles was a wonderful girl, loved by all who ever saw her race or was involved with her. We should be celebrating her magnificent heart and great accomplishments. I hope her legacy is to become the rally point to improvements within the industry. Now that would make her nicker. She did her part, lets do ours.
Comment by Jack Wortman — May 9, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
Blaming the owner, the trainer or the jockey is natural shock and horror being manipulated by those groups whose true goal is the extinction of all domestic animals.
What happened to Eight Belles could have happened even if all the changes being suggested and even demanded now are put in place. Horse-racing will never be risk-free, but it can and must become safer for the horses and the jockeys.
The racing industry has to stop looking the other way when speed and greed drive breeding practices and the use of drugs is wide-spread and widely tolerated. (Big Brown’s trainer has a long and well-documented history of drug-use, to name but one.)
Big Brown’s feet are a joke, and now he has a stud deal in the works? He needs to be gelded, along with Unbridled Song, Eight Belle’s sire. (I gotta few other candidates for gelding, including a few folks in the trainers’ ranks.)
I have nothing but sympathy for the connections of Eight Belles. But the horse-racing industry seems to be saying, “Well, it’s just PETA, and it’ll blow over.”
No, it won’t.
I follow racing year-round, following the top horses at the top tracks. I’m tired of the drugs. I’m tired of an industry that sends horses who made millions down the claiming ranks to squeeze every last dime out of them before they die on the track or in a Mexican slaughterhouse.
I know many, many wonderful people in racing, people who don’t cheat, do care and love horses. These people have been speaking up all along, and now, they need to be heard.
Again, my sympathy for all involved with Eight Belles. Thank you for commenting.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 9, 2008 @ 6:56 pm