The NTRA should ...

[Glimmerglass]

.. be way out on front of this story, but sadly it looks like they either didn't expect the story to continue to broil or they just don't grasp the need for crisis management.

[For those flowing into the racing forum - NTRA is the National Thoroughbred Racing Association]

Instead we have trainer Larry Jones and Dr. Larry Bramlage asked questions by news/entertainment people for a fairly quick series of one-sided questions which really fail to address the issue.

Churchill Downs Inc (CDI) and the NTRA should've called a direct press conference Sunday afternoon whereby the circumstances were present, the film of the incident examined, the feedback from medical professionals given, the ability for Q&A to be shared. Reps from Triple Crown Productions as well the Preakness and Belmont should be there too. If they wait until sometime late this week (if ever) they'll never get the chance to grab this story by the horns and correct the legions of people who know jack about horses let alone race horses.

Get every thing out in the open and address every element that can be.

The key points would've been the same as said by others but lost in the steamroller of ignorant reporters trying to get a leg up, animal rights groups exploiting the circumstances, and sadly a relatively slow news weekend.

Eight Belles did not break down during the race but rather in the gallop out. Plenty of wonderful horses have broken down in morning gallops from taking a bad step - just look at Second of June.

Suggestions of filly not having the right to take ont he boys is just asinine. There isn't much more that can said about that. A long list of successful filly runners can easily be cited - from Regret to Absolutely Cindy.

Eight Belles condition pre-race. Her prior workouts were excellent, she was examined and in very good form. Further more just prior to the start there was no sweating out in the post parade, no visible fears of being along side the boys, not dancing on her toes or any other reason to suggest she was not adapting to the circumstances.

Rick Porter shoud not be vilified for running her neither Larry Jones, her trainer, for making that decision. Over 30 fillies have been run in the Derby since inception with no problems before.

The organizers (CDI, NTRA, TC Productions) need to contain the discussion of Eight Belles to Eight Belles. They do not have to stand up and defend why X horse broke down at XYZ track - just address this particular incident.

Worth pointing out that if current breakdown stats were applied to the Derby - if it had been run on synthetic since inception at least 1 horse would've broken down; on dirt the odds should've been that by now 2 horses would've broken down.

[findeight]

I'm with you...the USA Today article was all over the place with all sorts of gibberish and almost no information at all-and led with a big color photo of the downed filly.
ALL of us in horse sports need to do a much better job of communicating factual information thru an established channel lest others do it for us in their own way. Seems like zoo animals is the only answer if you follow the train of thought presented by quoting blogs among other less then hard sources.

This is the second I recall breaking down in the Derby-and I am old. All of us also need to start taking a harder look at some of the less known tracks where things are not so open, not everybody such good horsemen, the scrutiny not so intense and, face it, you see too much you wish you hadn't.
We need to clean up before others do it for us. But there is no excuse for letting something that quotes PETA and a blog serve as the way the public is informed.

[Where'sMyWhite]

Nicely said Glimmer. Open communication such as with Barbaro would go so much further than the FUD that is flying around now by uninformed media anxious to make their mark.

[Barnfairy]

This statement is from the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, not the NTRA, but I hope it has been released to more than just industry mags like the Blood Horse:

KHRA Responds to Eight Belles Incident (http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/45059.htm)excerpted from article linked above:

“We are saddened by the loss of Eight Belles during the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby last Saturday. Our hearts go out to Rick Porter, Larry Jones, and every member of Eight Belles’ connections.

While injuries such as those sustained by Eight Belles are infrequent to Thoroughbred horse racing, it does not lessen the tragedy when they occur.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Authorlty has been constantly reviewing safety issues and will continue to monitor research and development in that area. The KHRA is concerned about the health and welfare of Thoroughbred race horses and remains actively involved in all safety aspects of Thoroughbred racing.

All horses are examined by a KHRA veterinarian prior to racing to ensure they are sound and free of injury on race day. The KHRA has enacted race day medication rules designed to protect not only the horses, but the jockeys as well.

The KHRA will remain vigilant in seeking ways to protect all of the athletes involved in horse racing, and working with racing jurisdictions from other states, as well as national and international organizations.
The statement goes on to address some of the concerns raised by PETA.

The NTRA sent Dr. Bramlage and Larry Jones out to face the public like a pair of sacrificial lambs. I liken that to trying to extinguish the California wildfires with a bucket of water.

[Glimmerglass]

Along with what Barnfairy posted, The Daily Racing Form this evening had the following article which is a bit of a clinical response to what still remains as an unknown as to "why".

Additionally is the formal statement from Gabriel Saez (her jockey):

Daily Racing Form May 5, 2008, posted 6:05 pm (http://drf.com/news/article/94302.html)

Eight Belles's injury rare and baffling
By GLENYE CAIN OAKFORD

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Breakdowns of the kind Eight Belles sustained moments after the Kentucky Derby are unusual in horses that are pulling up from a race, equine orthopedic surgeons said Monday. But the strides after the finish line can still present a danger for tired horses.

There are two primary contributing factors for post-race breakdowns, said Dr. Larry Bramlage, an orthopedic surgeon with Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital who was present at the Derby as a veterinary spokesman from the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

"One, they're tired, so their muscles absorb less of the stress, so they start taking a heavier load on the skeleton," said Bramlage. "The second thing is, they take their mind off what they're doing. That's why you want a jockey to let the horse gallop out over a longer distance and don't let them start propping to slow themselves down. The propping situation certainly wouldn't apply here, because the horse had galloped out already a quarter of a mile easing down in speed. As to whether she was tired or not, she'd just run a mile and a quarter - they're all tired.

"You'll see things like condylar fractures or sesamoid fractures in one leg, and as they start slowing down and their mind gets off of the competition, they'll become aware of the discomfort," Bramlage added when asked what injuries are most likely after the finish line. "An injury as they're pulling up is not terribly unheard of. The vast majority of injuries, however, don't manifest until they're cooling out, unless the horse becomes structurally unstable in some fashion. Then they start slowing down in the race. None of those scenarios fit here."

Bramlage said close examination of video shows Eight Belles's breakdown began when her right front leg failed.

"Two steps later, her left front gives way as well, and that's when she went down," he said. "She gets very asymmetric [uneven in stride] for about two steps, and then her left front fails."

That progression has led some to believe the filly's shifting weight from the right front to the left front likely contributed to the left leg's failure. She had condylar fractures, vertical breaks from the fetlock area up into the cannon bone, in both forelegs.

Dwayne H. Rodgerson, a surgeon at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, called Eight Belles's injury - near-simultaneous catastrophic condylar fractures in both forelegs - "very rare."

Rodgerson said he knows of no statistics showing how many injuries occur after the finish line. But studies have shown the catastrophic injury rate in Thoroughbred races typically hovers between 1.6 and 2.03 per 1,000 races.

Smaller condylar fractures occur fairly commonly in racehorses and frequently can be repaired. Rodgerson said that horses with more common incomplete condylar fractures often are weight bearing and can appear sound. But the rarer severe cases, particularly ones in which bone breaks completely and through the skin and allows contamination into the leg, as happened on Eight Belles's left foreleg, can call for euthanasia.

"Once the bone pops out, it goes up the leg, and once that goes the collateral ligament support is gone," Rodgerson said. "The collateral ligament is what keeps the leg from shifting to the inside or outside, and when they lose that collateral ligament, the joint's not stable, and it can, in a sense, dislocate."

In Eight Belles's instance, the involvement of both front legs left no real option for treatment, Bramlage and Rodgerson agreed, because there was essentially no way for the horse to stand, a key to survival. And the open wound on the left front would have made the risk of infection high, even if surgeons had attempted repair.

Eight Belles's injury, and particularly the failure of both front fetlocks, provides a highly unusual and baffling case study for the country's top equine orthopedic surgeons.

"I've never seen it in a horse that galloped out that far after the race," Bramlage said. "I actually have only ever seen it firsthand on videotape and never in a race where I actually have been. Even in that situation and in situations where a horse injures one leg, they're not performing like she was performing. She was closing the gap at the end of the race, so it's not as if she were protecting something or aware, even, that anything was going on. Her level of performance couldn't have been higher. So there was no outward sign that any of this was impending."

Jockey did everything right, Jones says

Larry Jones, the trainer of Eight Belles, spoke out Monday in defense of jockey Gabriel Saez, who rode Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby.

"This filly in every race has tried to drift toward the rail," Jones told The Associated Press in Lexington, Ky. "It's her comfort zone, and Gabriel knows this. This kid made every move the right move, and I hate it that they're wanting to jump down his throat. He did not try to abuse that horse to make her run faster. He knew he was second best, that she wasn't going to catch Big Brown."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an animal rights group, has called for Saez to be suspended, suggesting that he should have known that the filly was injured.

Saez, 20, began to ride competitively in 2006 and was the youngest jockey in the Derby this year. He issued the following statement Monday from his home base at Delaware Park:

"I remain heartbroken over Eight Belles, and I want to let her many fans know that she never gave me the slightest indication before or during the race that there was anything bothering her. All I could sense under me was how eager she was to race. I was so proud of her performance, and of the opportunity to ride her in my first Kentucky Derby, all of which adds to my sadness. Riding right now at Delaware Park and being around the horses and other jockeys is good therapy for me, but I hope the media understands that I prefer not to conduct interviews at this time. Please respect my decision while I mourn my personal loss."

[ArtilleryHill]

Anyone familiar with the NTRA will not, frankly, be surprised by their flat-footed, too-late, and awkward response to a situation that was bound to happen somewhere, someday, and for which they should have had the ultimate training after Barbaro's injury in the Preakness. Particularly frustrating was NTRA exec Keith Chamblin's off-key quote in the Blood-Horse Tuesday morning in which he actually said, in response to the Eight Belles tragedy, "we feel the pain." Any halfway-smart animal rights activist will have a field day with THAT. While it is entirely appropriate for the NTRA to extend its sympathy to the connections (and, incidentally, the fans) of a horse who has suffered the kind of catastrophic injury that felled Eight Belles, that expression of sympathy is not in itself a sufficient response from a group that has tried to paint itself as the "major-league office" of Thoroughbred racing.

That they may also be saddened and "feel the pain" does nothing to provide leadership for concrete change, or even to merely provide a calm and educational response to the fans, media, and others. But maybe "we feel the pain" is all you can come up with when you're hamstrung by a, what was it, $30 million budget? That's just an embarrassment to the sport, I should think.

The people who have done the best job in this, in my view, are those equine veterinarians called upon by the media. They have analyzed and spoken on the subject in a rational and calm way, even while expressing their own dismay and sadness at the situation.

[Swale01]

ONE THING THEY SHOULD DO:

Work with Churchill Downs to fix the "loophole" on graded earnings in filly-only stakes races to count towards the qualifying total to get into the field.

On paper, this filly was the least-prepared in the field - never ran 1 and 1/8, never saw G1 competition, never had to face colts, never in a field of more than 8 (and in her last prep race, a mere field of 3 other nobody fillies.) I think this filly ran into the misfortune of having a stablemate who was even more talented on paper (same owner, same trainer sent her stablemate Proud Spell to the G1s against the best fillies in the country while Eight Belles ran against sub par competition at Oaklawn Park) and the confidence her connections had in her stablemate's Oaks entry made them think it would be a fun thing to split them up and have a filly in the Derby. It certainly appears to have been a decision on the fly, and not something planned for this filly nor in her best interests if for no other reason, because they were asking her to take a HUGE step up in competition, + colts, at the same time they were asking her to add a full 3/16 of a mile beyond her longest distance.

We need to prevent this situation from happening again - where a filly's owner gets Derby fever at the 11th hour, when the filly has not been appropriately tested in competition or conditioned for it through a long-term plan with properly chosen races. It's an easy loophole to close, and they should close it, NOW.

[findeight]

Back in the dark ages...like '70 or '71 when I was taking some Equine and pre vet courses at a nearby college, we helped with some statistical work for the state and nearby tracks. Most notably Santa Anita.

The breakdown/catastrophic injury rate hovered around 2% over whatever period we were looking at-which I cannot remember-few years I think.

Above statement quoted says 1.6 to 2.3%.

That's the kind of hard statistic that needs to be fleshed out. Looks like we are where we were then despite a much later start for the 2 y/os and fewer races at longer intervals. Probably too early to tell much with the synthetics but, anecdotally, seem to reduce the bds in most cases.

Interesting.

[Glimmerglass]

Swale, I couldn't disagree more with your position.

Above all else she came in an impressive 2nd in the race. Taking a bad step post race during the gallop out should not be connected with the race in so far as trying to erect new barriers to entry for any future filly. She could've been as Jones said "running against Shetland Ponies" and still incurred that fatal injury.

I think we can easily recall the horse Swale. He just as easily could've dropped dead in the Belmont - unrelated to racing - instead of just a week afterwards while being washed off. I suppose the gallery would, if Eight Belles died of an aneurism, say emphatically that it came from the pressure of running with the boys or some other bit of gibberish. No matter what it would appear that some people want to nail somebody to the cross for her breaking down.

Suggestion that Larry Jones and/or Rick Porter (Fox Hill Farms) just put her in there last minute is exceedingly untrue. She - and other fillies such as Country Star - had been discussed off and on as Derby possibilities. Unlike Proud Spell, who ALSO was a possible for the Derby, they decided that Eight Belles had the physical stature and emotional security to deal with running with the boys. She had run in training with males to see if she'd rate with them.

To suggest she went in unprepared and as almost a flip of the coin is flat out wrong.

The only reason she was on the bubble for the Oaks or the Derby was due to her post-position and rightfully so. Had she broken from post 20 I don't think she'd finish the 2nd place she did. Don't misinterpret the dialogue of her connections possibly passing on the Derby as "a decision on the fly".

She had to meet criteria for Larry Jones to say she was a go for the Derby nomination that included a solid workout the week prior. Then she had to have a good PP to actually start in the race. Had there been any signs of her condition suggesting she wasn't up to par and they would've scratched.

Rick Porter is not some idiot investor who just bought into racing yesterday. He's no bottom of the barrel, make a buck any way you can off a horse owner either. He could live without having a Derby starter until it was just right. Whipped up into Derby fever? No.

Do you know how many US graded Derby prep races are at 1 1/4 mi? None that I can recall. Only one horse on the Derby trail had gone that distance - Tomcito in Peru - and he didn't earn enough graded money. His connections admit he would've finished behind Eight Belles. So effectively no horses in this era are going into the Derby tested for 1 1/4mi and thus have stretched out around two turns to "just" a distance of 1 1/16mi or 1 1/8mi.

Graded money from running against all filly fields should be “scaled back”? Seriously? So the girls are pushovers and those races are just boutique events? I seem to recall folks lamenting that the fillies this spring were putting in at the exact same tracks and distances much faster, solid efforts. As I said I’m in favor of scaling back 2-yr old graded earnings for either sex. However to propose that the dollar purse for the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes or Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes, both for fillies, should be somehow only partially recognized by the CDI to get into Kentucky Derby vs. say 100% of the G2 Illinois Derby purse also at same 1 1/8 mi diatnce is down right sexist.

No filly has been entered into the Derby without serious thought. They passed on it with Sweet Catomine, they passed on it with Sharp Cat. Both horses were fast and bold but unable to cope well with males. For every entry questions are asked - "what will this do to our ability to summer and fall campaigns?" Look at the horses who finished behind Eight Belles - only two appear to be going to either the Preakness or Belmont. All trainers know the Derby most likely will sideline their horse for period of time.

The bottom line from my view to say that Eight Belles wasn't suited or qualified to race in the Derby, which almost suggests her 2nd place was undeserving, is in my view flat out wrong and insulting.

[ArtilleryHill]

I think people in the raing/veterinary world are trying to flesh out the stats, which has been needed for a long time. My understanding is that decades of previous breakdown studies have been conducted under varying standards--not in terms of quality, but in terms of how they quantify things. For example, some counted breakdowns as "horse removed by ambulance" and others counted them as "horse lame after finish line," and still others might have only considered catastrophic injury requiring euthanasia.

California's state-mandated tally of every death, regardless of cause, at every racetrack and training center, has been a real leading light in the reporting, and I am glad to see that there is more movement, through Dr. Mary Scollay's work, to standardize and widen the breakdown/injury studies. That should help flesh out the stats.

[Swale01]

[quote=Glimmerglass;3192766]
Graded money from running against all filly fields should be “scaled back”? Seriously? So the girls are pushovers and those races are just boutique events? I seem to recall folks lamenting that the fillies this spring were putting in at the exact same tracks and distances much faster, solid efforts. As I said I’m in favor of scaling back 2-yr old graded earnings for either sex. However to propose that the dollar purse for the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes or Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes, both for fillies, should be somehow only partially recognized by the CDI to get into Kentucky Derby vs. say 100% of the G2 Illinois Derby purse also at same 1 1/8 mi diatnce is down right sexist.
quote]

You have misread my statement. The issue isn’t the fact that she was a filly running against the colts - beyond the fact that because she was a filly and therefore able to get into the field through a different, EASIER route, she was not forced into the course of preparation and competition that the other 10 starters were. This filly was being asked to take – by far – the largest ‘step up’ in class AND distance of the entire field. Not only was she the only horse in the field who had never at least attempted 1 and 1/8 (her last race was not at the 1 and 1/8 that the referenced Illinois Derby was, it was at 1 and 1/16) - she was also the only horse in the field never to face anything close to the caliber of her competitors. The only horses in the field who didn’t have their final prep in a G1 were the two horses coming out of the Arkansas Derby (which should be a G1, IMO) and the three coming out of the Illinois Derby, but who nonetheless had exposure to other Derby hopefuls. Go back as far as you can find PPs online for the Derby, and you’ll find that in the past 5 years, only TWO other horses of the approximate 100 entered in the Derby tried to go 1 and ¼ without a 1 and 1/8 stretch first.

I love a great face filly and think it’s wonderful if a filly can run and beat the boys. And it’s perfectly acceptable in my book to consider them for the Derby – but then you owe it to them to PREPARE them for it by testing them adequately. If they are Derby quality, they can just as easily get their graded earnings in open 3YO stakes races than in races sheltering them with their own sex. As Winning Colors did in the Santa Anita Derby. As Genuine Risk did in the Wood Memorial. Instead of running Eight Belles in the piddly little G2 in a field of 4 fillies, her connections could have waited 5 days and run her in the Arkansas Derby against Gayego and Z Fortune, and tested her against legitimate, Derby-level competition instead. Even if you don’t think it’s important to protect the fillies, it’s clearly unfair to the colts – especially a colt who may have hit the board in a major G1 stakes race, to be bumped by a filly who ran in lower grade stakes at more obscure places over the course of her career, against only fillies. That fillies need preferential treatment – which is what that is – to get into the Derby is even more sexist than implying that they should compete fairly and earn their way in.

The cause of the bad step post-race will be a subject of much discussion and theory for years, I’m sure, but the possibility of her having overtaxed herself and pulling herself up on weak, wobbly legs can’t just be disregarded. Her heart may have pushed her farther than her body was capable of. I disgree with Jones that she could have been injured “running against Shetland ponies” – it may be possible, and all factors are worth considering and discussing, but his statement is not anything someone can say with confidence.

[Glimmerglass]

From this afternoon's press conference at Delaware Park:

Associated Press 5-6-08 "Trainer: Eight Belles was not on steroids" (http://herald-zeitung.com/wire.lasso?report=/dynamic/stories/R/RAC_KENTUCKY_DERBY_EIGHT_BELLES&-session=HeraldZeitung:40DA3C4E0c5b020693GHi20C5D2A )

STANTON, Del. (AP) -- The trainer of Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles on Tuesday ordered drug testing as part of an the autopsy, intent on dispelling any suggestion the fallen filly may have been on steroids.

Larry Jones said the tests for performance-enhancing drugs will come back negative on Eight Belles, who was euthanized after breaking both front ankles Saturday.

"I guarantee there were no steroids ever on the horse," Jones said at a news conference at Delaware Park, site of the filly's first win.

Jones said he was responding to unspecified criticism that his horse must have been on steroids because she was so large.

"We're taking a lot of abuse out there. ... We're being accused of steroid abuse because she was so large," he said. "I can tell you that (owner Rick) Porter goes to the sale to look for good horses and that's one of the thing you look for - a horse that's big enough, strong enough and fast enough to compete in big races."

Jones also took a swipe at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has been critical of jockey Gabriel Saez. PETA has said Saez should have known that the horse was in trouble and that he went to the whip too often.

"I think that it is really and truly the most ridiculous thing I've heard of," he said.

Jones said PETA is capitalizing on a sad situation.

"When this started I feel like maybe their heart was in the right place," Jones said. "I think maybe they were generally concerned."

Again a formal all-access press conference on Sunday would've nixed this idiotic chatter in its tracks.

[NMK]

Glimmer, today I get invited to read the NTRA's side of it on a BLOG? A BLOG? They are kidding me, right? Someone, someone please tell them to get a PR firm NOW. They need to make an advertisement to air during the Preakness/Belmont and show WHAT they are doing, the steps they are taking, reforms that have been on-going.

Take the lead here NTRA folks. Heaven forbid if something catastrophic happens in the next two triple crown races. You need to be all over this issue, be on every talk show, get Larry and Larry to speak WITH you. This is not something that will go away anytime shortly, and it could be your pedestal if you make it so. By the way I sent this to them too.

Nancy

[Glimmerglass]

Glimmer, today I get invited to read the NTRA's side of it on a BLOG? A BLOG? They are kidding me, right? Someone, someone please tell them to get a PR firm NOW.

Yep, just a mess and while PETA is picking up the lead and thus will eventually be seen for what they are their efforts will succeed in damaging the sport in some capacity.

Be it less fans, perhaps NBC passing on airing more tv coverage, or how about the Kentucky Derby being broadcasted on a 30-second delay basis ...

Clearly now we'll be stuck with Peta demonstrators at the next two legs of the TC (http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/45074.htm) and while ignored before I can assume the press will eat up shots of them outside the gates of Pimlico:

Lindsay Rajt, the local spokeswoman for PETA, a national organization, confirmed the group will have a presence at the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico Race Course in Maryland, and the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park in New York.

Rajt said PETA supporters would demonstrate on public property around the racetracks. The Kentucky Horse Park, where the KHRA office is located, is state property.

The assorted organization tied with racing appear to be overly polite to the point of almost sitting on their hands at the moment.

Patrick Neely, executive director of the Kentucky Equine Education Project, KEEP, was on hand to view the demonstration. He said horse industry participants are involved "for the love of the horse, and all of our objectives are to make sure the sport is safe for the horse and rider."

Lisa Underwood, executive director of the KHRA, said she couldn’t comment on a lawsuit that may or may not be filed by PETA. She did comment on other issues stemming from the death of Eight Belles at Churchill Downs.

“I am very proud of our veterinary team,” Underwood said. “Their response time was very quick, and we had multiple vets available.”

As for a synthetic-surface mandate in Kentucky, she said: “I think it would be premature to rush to judgment. Research is still being done (on racing surfaces).”

That is great for clips but again get them together in a press conference - address it all at once. Don't allow the death of Eight Belles to be a platform for every other bitch and complaint tied to the sport. They might have validity in their own right but her death has nothing to do with 2-yr olds racing, her breakdown has nothing to do with the use of whips, her untimely death had nothing to do with Churchill being dirt and not synthetic based.

As cited the media is somewhat waking up to having been used by the agenda-based activits crowd and now is asking some questions with their claims. Case in point with ESPN Radio speaking with a spokeswoman for Peta (http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/05/06/eight-belles-peta-spokeswoman-cant-answer-mike-tiricos-questi/)

If PETA can't answer the basic question of whether Saez did anything different from any other jockey, then it shouldn't take the position that Saez should be suspended.

[NMK]

Well, where it will really hurt is in the pocketbook. It won't be so Yummy anymore unless someone (and I think the ship has left without the NTRA aboard) comes forward with the solutions they have been working on for the past few years, and the plans for the future. I just am absolutely stunned that the NTRA did not take the lead on this, just stunned.

Nancy

[DLee]

This in today http://www.kentucky.com/254/story/397640.html .

[NMK]

Exactly, thank you for posting DLee.

Nancy

[findeight]

Another thanks for that link. Excellent editorial in a town paper at the heart of it all. Not some urban behemoth spouting nonsense from uninformed sources.

[I'm EBO]

May I give you a point of view from a racing fan and horse lover who is not connected to any race horse or track, and knows only what I see and read about racing in the media (including COTH)?

The "industry" seems to be conflicted. There are those who say that racing does not need public approbation because the money is made (almost entirely) from pari-mutual bettors and breeding, and that's probably factual. I've read that sponsorship of the big races, such as Yum's of the Derby, is a recent thing, and not essential to the presentation of the races at all.

OTOH, public criticism of traditional practices is met with a "kill the messenger" sort of mind set. From the outrage here, one would think that PETA was the direct cause of EB's breakdown. Yet, I haven't seen any insider complaints about the trivilization of the Derby by NBC's inane coverage--complete with celebrities who didn't seem to know that the Kentucky Derby is a horse race.

I don't see that public relations is the primary problem of the NTRA, although the leadership does seem surprised that it's not already business as usual following EB's breakdown. Even with their collective head in the sand, they must be aware that early starting of TBs in racing, drugging, breeding for speed rather than stamina, and track surfaces and conditions are issues of concern for fans and, probably, bettors. Rather than saying "shit happens" about every tragedy, should they not be encouraging those in the industry to tackle those problems that have been identified and are known to exist by even non-connected fans like me? Public relations is a lot easier when you're not always offering condolences, but have real progress to report.

I don't want to hear in the future that non-PETA people are calling for an end to horse racing. I want to hear that racing problems A, B, C and D have been fixed; and unscrupulous trainers have been demoted to mucking stalls or selling popcorn.

It will be interesting to see the NTRA's, and the racing industry's responses to the HBO special next week on TB slaughter.

[NMK]

Therein lies the dilemma...who answers these questions? Obviously the NTRA has not taken a role. We need a pro active governing body. There needs to be a national organization formed to support the SPORT of
Thoroughbred Horse Racing for its fans, some of which have never placed a bet.

Nancy

[Beezer]

Rick Porter said in a Blood Horse article today that racing needs a commissioner, someone who has the authority to fix the problems. It's clear that he is deeply distressed about the death of Eight Belles, even to the point of saying that he isn't sure he can keep racing Thoroughbreds.

It's abundantly clear that some agency needs to be the voice for the industry, and it needs to be saying much, much more than "too bad, it's sad ... on to the next race!" I am just not sure that the NTRA or any other industry group gets how deeply the average person is upset/mad/really pissed about this -- or maybe they just don't care. From TV and radio shows (both sports and not) to newspapers and magazines to blogs (even non-racing ones!) to Youtube and beyond, people are really, really angry. To paraphrase that famous line from "Network": They're as mad as hell and they aren't gonna take it anymore.

An L.A. Times editorial took the math about the generally bandied about 1.5 fatalities out of 1,000 starts to the next level and worked that out to two racing fatalities a day. That was a gut punch. And that's not even taking into account the ones euthanized later or after workout injuries. I'm not sure how any good spin can be put on that, but then that's why I'm not in PR.

[NMK]

Beezer, can you PM me?

Thanks
Nancy

[Glimmerglass]

From the article with Rick Porter in the BloodHorse - "Owner Porter Reflects on Eight Belles" (http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/article/45091.htm) we're hearing more of what should've been communicated earlier ...

Porter said he studied Eight Belles' speed figures and talked extensively with Jones before entering her in the Derby. Jones spoke with Hall of Fame trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Leroy Jolley, who won the Derby with fillies, and both agreed that Eight Belles seemed to have the strength and ability to compete in the Derby.

“Larry told me the filly was training at her absolute best,” Porter said. “Everything fell into place. We got a bad draw in the Oaks and a good one in the Derby. I knew she could get a mile-and-a-quarter without any trouble. She ran to her form. I was told she ran a 102 (Beyer Speed Figure).”

<snip>

By the time the Porter group made it down to the track, veterinarians had euthanized the filly. They walked over to the barn, where the chaplain came over and said a few prayers.

Again, has anyone heard of the track chaplain saying prayers? It is details like that while personal should have been communicated to combat some sterile image of track being 'oh, well, next race'. Once again the imagined concept of this 17hh+ filly being "just tossed in the Derby" without thought or was illsuited isn't anywhere near reality.

Porter did offer this recommendation, which for the TC races owning to the amount of focus, money at stake, and status held by these races seems very logical although in the case of Eight Belles a scan wouldn't have found anything:

“Maybe the only way is through (the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association). Look, the sport needs bettors and owners. The owners need to stay together and make it happen. Without them the show doesn’t go on.”

Porter also would like to see better technologies that screen horses more closely before they go into competition. “I’ve seen scans that don’t show microfractures and have been told that microfractures are part of the (growing) process,” he said. “What I would want to know is how good are the test results? If I can get good, solid information, I would be all for any technology that can better protect the horses.

“We put the horse’s welfare absolutely first. We don’t drop our horses down to the claiming ranks because there is a possibility of things not working out for the horse. We would rather give them away. Give them new homes and lives."

[Glimmerglass]

Not exactly a rapid response, but at least something ...

Bloodhorse 5-8-08 "Jockey Club, NTRA Act on Derby Death" (http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/45103.htm)

In the wake of the fatal breakdown of the filly Eight Belles in the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), The Jockey Club has commissioned a seven-member Thoroughbred Safety Committee, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association board of directors has scheduled a special meeting May 9 to discuss a course of action.

Jockey Club chairman Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps said May 8 the new committee would be asked to review every facet of equine health, including breeding practices, medication, the rules of racing and track surfaces, and to recommend actions to be taken by the industry to improve the health and safety of Thoroughbreds.

Recommendations that have come from the two Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse summits will serve as starting points for the committee. Three of the seven members of the newly formed committee were participants in both summits.

Read NTRA CEO Alex Waldrop’s latest blog entry regarding safety in the racing industry (http://www.ntra.com/blog.aspx?blogid=15&year=2008&month=5&day=5).

When contacted May 8, Bob Curran, vice president of corporate communications for The Jockey Club, acknowledged the committee was formed in response to the breakdown and subsequent euthanization of Eight Belles in her gallop-out after the Derby, in which she finished second. The incident generated a barrage of attention from the national media and animal-rights groups.

“The committee is going to meet for the first time (May 14),” Curran said. “After the meeting, it will provide a summary of its goals and a timeline (for action).”

The seven members of the committee are Stuart Janney III, who will serve as chairman; John Barr; James G. “Jimmy” Bell; Dr. Larry Bramlage; Donald Dizney, Dell Hancock; and Dr. Hiram Polk Jr. Each is a member of The Jockey Club.

“All seven of these individuals have dedicated a major part of their lives to Thoroughbred breeding and racing, and have shown a consistent and unwavering concern for the welfare of Thoroughbreds,” Phipps said in a statement. “We will reach out to involve others in the industry, and we will do everything in our power to encourage changes that will benefit the breed in any way. We will do this in a timely manner.”

Keith Chamblin, senior vice president of communications for the NTRA, said the organization supports The Jockey Club initiative. He said the special NTRA board meeting is being held to discuss the fallout from the death of Eight Belles on horse racing’s biggest stage, but further details aren't yet available.

“We’ll be discussing everything (related to the situation),” Chamblin said of the meeting agenda.

The horseracing industry is now gearing up for the second leg of the Triple Crown, the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico Race Course. One animal-rights group--People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals--said it plans to hold demonstrations in conjunction with the Preakness and the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in New York.

[NMK]

Good grief, well five days later is better than never. They have a lot of work to do. This is a good committee and could very well be the start of a National BOD, and a Commissioner (Phipps). I do stand and support their effort here. It is a step in the right direction and one positive note from the tragedy last Saturday.

It would be a fitting legacy to this great filly is something really worthwhile in safety was done on a national level. My hard hat is off to those that formed this summit (not while mounted though).

Nancy

[Drvmb1ggl3]

Not exactly a rapid response, but at least something ...

Bloodhorse 5-8-08 "Jockey Club, NTRA Act on Derby Death" (http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/45103.htm)

Will be interesting to see what they come up with. However, all they can do is suggest as they are powerless to implement anything, except maybe some issues with regards to breeding practices.

[bobbybobby]

years ago state racing commissions had a lot of power to govern with a very strict hand...with all the legal threats ,law suites,injunctions,appeals,stays,etc ....it has lost a lot of power....now it can grant license and not much more....we do need someone with a strong hand.....

[Glimmerglass]

years ago state racing commissions had a lot of power to govern with a very strict hand

However years ago racing wasn't as prevalent in as many places and throughout the year. I don't think the rules of NY racing, for example, have gotten softer by any means. Look at the pre-race detention barn requirement at the NYRA tracks. Well intended perhaps but ineffective and likely hurting the chances of some runners.

To your point I don't think it is possible to have one single national comissioner or even a single panel of people who oversee every aspect of racing and every track, coast to coast, from the Finger Lakes to Del Mar. The level of resentment towards the comissioner's office for football and baseball, for example, can be significant and it isn't all smiles and grins behind the scenes.

That said I do think the NTRA/Jockey Club/Jockey Guild collectively should better protect the business and with it comes more welfare concerns to be addressed - how about the backside workers living conditions too - as well as the marketing, branding, and expansion of the sport.

We might think that racing does work in some sort of union but in fact it really is different groups that operate in some loose assocation. The Triple Crown Productions, for example, have long since lost their control of being able to sell as a package the Derby, Preakness, Belmont on one network (a huge mistake) and also cannot secure a single sponsor willing to restore the $5M bonus for a winner.

The Breeders' Cup likewise has only managed to loose a key spot on a major network and now garners a fraction of the viewership of before. Their most recent stumble with a filly/mare only day on Friday hasn't help demonstrate much marketing or advertising skill there either.

The Sunshine Millions - the Florida/California matchups with Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita workin in tadum for a coast-vs-coast rivalry - has also dropped off from being shown on a major network. This year I think it was only on one of the horse racing-only channels.

So as we can see even with lots of time to make decisions, build media connections, market the heck out of premire events, and spend some larger budgets wisely there hasn't been many inroads made. Take that lacking skill set and add in a few very public black eye occasions (Barbaro, Eight Belles, George Washington, et al) not to mention some great chances to sell a thrilling story (Afleet Alex's remarkable Preakness recovery, for example) and what do you have? A turtle like reaction to get in front of the stories and even then its at best a less then confident whisper like voice.

At least they are correct on this point: BloodHorse 5-8-08 "Officials: Don't Discount Welfare Groups" (http://news.bloodhorse.com//viewstory.asp?id=45111)

The organizations are well-funded, and utilize staff and volunteers. The HSUS, according to its 2006 annual report, received $82.4 million in contributions and grants that year, and spent $17.5 million on campaigns, litigation, and expenses. PETA in 2007 received $28.5 million in contributions, and spent about $14 million on international grassroots campaigns, public outreach, and education, according to its financial statement.

“They are very well-funded and have a great deal of public relations experience,” Jay Hickey, president of the American Horse Council, said of the groups. “I think they have to be taken seriously. This is not a new issue to some of these organizations.

“Even if you disagree with some of their specific suggestions, you have to pay attention to what they say. They have an awful lot of constituents.”

Again the importance of any action at the moment needs to be to addressing and providing counterpoint to the lies and illinformed masses on Eight Belles so that the Preakness and Belmont can go forward.

Having a longer term dialogue of what to do about breeding, racing surfaces, use of the whip, racing at two, etc is a separate - and very important - discussion point but there isn't a thing that can be agreed upon, implemented, and benefits seen by mid-June.

[Barnfairy]

The industry needs a unified national front ready to take immediate action in the wake of tragic events. This is not about implementing new rules; it's about the very basics of PR. Responding to the concerns of the general public predominantly via industry-specific websites and publications is painfully inadequate.

If not the NTRA, then what of TOBA (http://www.toba.org/), whose mission is "to improve the economics, integrity and pleasure of the sport on behalf of owners and breeders."

Larry Jones, Rick Porter, and Gabriel Saez are left to defend themselves as they bear the brunt of unfair attacks. The industry has FAILED to support them. Horribly.

That's no way to attract new public interest in the sport.

[Glimmerglass]

Baltimore Sun 5-9-08 "Jockey Club panel to eye safety steps" (http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/investing/bal-sp.racing09may09,0,4210730.story)

excerpt

In Delaware, trainer Larry Jones, who has been vilified by animal rights groups for running his filly against colts in the Derby, said he hopes something good can come from the committee but no one should be looking for a perfect fix.

"Could something good come from it to make things safer? Yes," he said. "Will it make horse racing foolproof? No. ... It can't be done."

Jones expressed no second thoughts yesterday about his decision to run Eight Belles. She finished second in the Derby, 4 3/4 lengths behind Big Brown. She was only the second filly in history to finish second in the race, and her performance was the best by any horse against Big Brown in his four career races.

"I have a picture of her 50 yards from where she fell," Jones said. "In that picture, she's a happy horse. She has no idea any thing is wrong or that anything is about to go wrong."

Yesterday during a conference call, it became apparent how difficult the committee's job will be, as longtime horsemen voiced disagreement over what one thing could be done to make racing safer for the horses.

Rick Dutrow, who trains Big Brown, said synthetic tracks are not the answer.

"Good track superintendents are the most important thing," Dutrow said. "If they had good track superintendents, they wouldn't have to go to all these synthetic tracks. Get a good track man, put in a good dirt surface and race."

But trainer Reade Baker, who trains Preakness entry Kentucky Bear, said the best thing for horse safety would be "more stringent racing standards" that would enable vets to scratch more suspect horses.

[EMWalker]

Racing absolutely needs a governing body. Every other professional sport has one but racing - which has been around longer then most other sports in this earth - seems to be the most back-ass-werds of all of them!

The general public knows didly-squat about horses and they don't know about the 1.5% or 2% of horses breaking down. All they know is that in the past TWO years, FIVE horses have died very publicly on TV. The the average person, that is a lot of deaths on TV.

No one in the racing industry is stepping up to the plate and they are all saying "Not my fault, don't blame me/us." With a governing body or a commissioner the sport will be more organized to make changes and if they DON'T make changes, then there is someone who has to answer for it.

If this may breakdowns are happening at well cared for top-of-the-line tracks, you can bet your ass they are happening even more frequently at the smaller hole-in-the-wall tracks around the country.

I live in San Antonio and I have heard that it is one of the most dangerous tracks in the country. After Barbaro's death, I walked into a Starbucks and right there on the front cover of the SA paper was a picture of a filly who broke BOTH front legs at the start of the season. Nose in the dirt - right there on the front of the paper. I started crying right there in Starbucks!

Racing needs to make some SERIOUS changes and it needs to come from within. We "outsiders" or members of other disciplines can complain all we want but change MUST come within their own sport.

[bobbybobby]

we certainly need a governing body !!!!!but with that said every time something happens ,some of the same names come up on these committies.it is like a knee jerk reaction....yes we really need help...look at the drug committee..look at the sales task force...do you think anything has or will change ???????there was a time if you get a bad test you were ruled off...you don't pay your bills you get ruled off,,,you mistreat a horse you get ruled off...you argue with an official you get ruled off...now with anything short of murder you get an injunction and keep up the same routine....if you have a big name owner you are automatically in the right groove !!!!you can do no wrong.....have you notice someone can bring a lot of money in the game and within 90 days he is being quoted in every publication like a man with 50 years experience.....

[Glimmerglass]

One of the few times I've truly read an article and said this is pure fiction. That is with respect to the part of the NTRA acting fast. Any suggestion of swift "action" by the racing authorities to stop the wildfire of anti-racing must've transpired within freaking a puppet show at the NTRA's headquarters and seen by an audience of 1 person. Did the NTRA get stocked with the rejects from FEMA?

They just need to admit the truth with their professional skill being absent.

Advertising Age magzine 5-12-08 "Racing Acts Swiftly After Derby Death" (http://adage.com/article?article_id=126974)

Racing Acts Swiftly After Derby Death
Industry Launches Crisis Plan Following Eight Belles Backlash
By Michael Bush

Published: May 12, 2008

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Every sport occasionally has to deal with a major crisis. Major League Baseball has steroids; the National Football League has spygate. Even the "world's sport," soccer, just saw one of its biggest stars, Ronaldo, get caught with three transvestite hookers. But none can lay claim to an on-field execution of a rising star, as horse racing now can.

At the end of this year's 134th Kentucky Derby, the second-place finisher, Eight Belles, collapsed due to two broken front ankles and had to be immediately euthanized.

A swift media backlash ensued for nearly all involved, including the horse-racing industry; the network, NBC, that aired the race; and the Derby's national sponsor, Yum Brands. The incident also gave People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals the chance to make some noise about a sport it has long felt reeked of animal cruelty but has never gone after.

After Eight Belles was euthanized in the shadow of a celebration for Derby winner Big Brown led by Yum CEO David Novak, the blogosphere took aim. The New York Times published some of the comments, including this: "Based on the Yum reps' disgraceful smiling and product plugging -- while Eight Belles was dying yards away from them -- I'll never buy any of their products again." NBC said it informed Mr. Novak about what was happening, but Yum said he did not know the horse's fate at the time.

Back again
Jonathan Blum, senior VP at the fast-food-chain owner, said this was the company's third year as presenting sponsor and it will be back again next year. Mr. Blum said Yum is not pushing for any safety-related changes at the track and hasn't met with any interest groups, such as PETA. "Our focus has been on extending our sympathy to the millions of fans of Eight Belles and talking with Churchill Downs and making sure that they're exploring how the accident occurred," he said.

Gene Grabowski, senior VP at Levick Strategic Communications, said this shouldn't have a lasting impact on the company, and Yum should remain silent and let it pass but learn from it. "Once they knew of their error, [Yum] should have had someone monitoring the blogs and immediately had a statement on the blogs apologizing for how it looked," Mr. Grabowski said.

As for the horse-racing industry, Mr. Grabowski said it needs to beat PETA to the punch by launching an ad campaign "demonstrating the care and loving way" these horses are treated featuring lawmakers, regulators and high-profile people with an affinity for the sport.

Horse racing is more like boxing than it is the NBA or the NFL in that it is regulated on a state-by-state basis and doesn't have a single governing body to establish rules or be a voice of authority in times of crisis. The closest thing it has to a nationwide governing body is the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, which is made up of several hundred industry stakeholders including tracks, breeders, horseman's associations and the Jockey Club.

Crisis plan
Immediately after the incident, the NTRA initiated a crisis-communications effort. Eric Wing, the group's senior director-media relations, said the plan initially focused heavily on media relations and ensuring the news being reported was factual. Then the NTRA began communicating with officials and public-relations teams at all of its member tracks, including all three Triple Crown venues.

Mr. Wing said the NTRA will be communicating with fans and bloggers via e-mail and CEO Alex Waldrop blogged about the incident on the association's website. An effort involving TV and print ads is a distinct possibility down the road, Mr. Wing said.

PETA is planning to stage protests at the other two legs of the Triple Crown: the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore (May 17) and the Belmont Stakes in New York (June 7). Kathy Guillermo, director-laboratory investigations at PETA, said the group will be relying heavily on new media for its communications efforts. On its website it has provided a photo of Eight Belles with links to a chat forum, its blog and a petition for congressional hearings to investigate the horse-racing industry. PETA also asked people to send e-mails to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority. "In the first three days, people sent over 30,000 e-mails," Ms. Guillermo said. "We will keep pushing Congress for hearings and will be sending letters to all 50 state racing commissions pushing for reform."

Mr. Wing said he's not sure what to expect in the coming weeks other than that this will remain an issue. "I don't think Eight Belles' story is going to go away any time soon, nor should it," he said. "Exactly how it will play out, I don't know, because we haven't seen anything quite like this."

The NTRA during their foray into countering this PR nightmare with a sole “blog” should spend the time looking at this in case they are not familiar:

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall02/Susi/tylenol.htm

[NMK]

Glimmer, that had me spitting coffee and nails.

Bobbybobby, we have people ruled off one track here showing up 2 hours down the pike doing "business as usual." That's only one reason to form a governing body. I could give you a list of others, but what matters most is that the governing body has the ability to regulate and mandate. However, imagine combining State Racing Commissions, the JC, the HBPA, the TOBA groups, The NTRA, State Gaming Commissions, Horse Retirement Groups, etc. It's a momumental task, but one I say is long overdue if racing is to continue. Right now there is no Great Lakes Downs, Thistledown will probably be next to close, Fairmont is at risk, I could go on. What is to happen to the industry, its horses and its people there? No one is looking at the big picture. It's not merely about safety, it's about the sport's future, the future of the horses, and the people who work with them, IMHO.

Rant over, for now.
Nancy

[bobbybobby]

nmk.....if someone is ruled off at one place they are ruled of everywhere....except for an injunction....to many lawyers representing people in the wrong....yes we do need a stronger system....it needs to be state run ....not by the hbpa,tra,jc etc...