Horse races refer to competitions between horses ridden by jockeys on an oval track with organized betting taking place, or competitions with strong competitive elements like political elections.
The dark side of equine industry includes drug abuse, injuries and breakdowns, slaughter, even while fans flock to trackside to show off their fancy outfits and sip mint juleps. Behind its romanticized facade of Thoroughbred racing lies an ugly reality: thousands of American and foreign racehorses each year are exploited, cruelly trained, bred abusively for racing purposes and slaughtered for breeding farms to breeding farms where illegal drugs are used with an informal code of silence among staff members.
PETA released video this week featuring two top trainers, Scott Blasi and Steve Asmussen, that was widely condemned. Harrowing images depict thoroughbreds at two of America’s most prominent tracks–Churchill Downs in Kentucky and Saratoga in upstate New York–under their watch; these trainers’ horses are heavily favored to win their races by large margins but are accused of using drugs which mask serious health concerns in them.
As horseracing depends heavily on horses’ mental and physical wellbeing for its success, it is crucial that fans understand its inner workings so they can decide their response if this sport doesn’t resonate with them or cease supporting it altogether.
On Derby day, as the sun set over the backstretch, eleven horses lined up in the starting gate for eleven races. War of Will was quickly seen breaking cleanly nearing the rail, followed by Mongolian Groom and McKinzie – and as soon as the pack hit far turn and began their sprint towards finish line it became evident that track surface fatigue was slowing them down considerably.
They looked anxious as they raced through the final sunlight of the day, with nostrils flaring, heads dipping in dust, and mouths open wide with fear. Some fans saw this and changed from cheering to shrieking their voices at them with increased volume and intensity.
To maintain their momentum, horses must lead by the far turn – also known as Clubhouse Turn – which requires jockeys to secure an inside track position known as Rail Position. While getting this spot may sound simple enough, being on the rail may not always be effortless since horse legs function like springs when stretched, disengaging then reengaging as part of their fast running mechanism; but being so close can increase risk as horses could get bumped against a fence and lose speed, making Rail Position all the more important during long races!