Page 12 - 30 March 2012

IDES OF MARCH
Beware...mid-March was troubled, indeed.
One of the best ways to overcome the negative headlines— the Ides of March—is to make positive changes for the future.
by Stacy Pigott
In 1599, William Shakespeare wrote the tragedy “Julius Ceasar” about the conspiracy against the Roman dictator Julius Caesar in 44 BC and his
assassination. In the play, Caesar is warned by a soothsayer, “Beware the ides of March,” referring to the 15th day of March on the Roman calendar. The real life version has a visionary foreseeing that Caesar would be harmed no later than the Ides of March. On the way to the Theatre of Pompey, Caesar met the seer and said, “The Ides of March have come,” allud- ing to the fact that the prophesy had not been ful- filled. The seer responded, “Ay, Caesar, but not gone.” Caesar was assassinated that night at the Theatre.
Like Caesar, the horse racing industry would have done well to have heeded the warning, “Beware the Ides of March,” as the week of March 15 was filled with negative headlines about horse racing not only in the United States, but across the world.
From California came the news that a third horse had died from a freak accident during the filming of the HBO series “Luck.” The backlash surrounding the horse’s death was enough to cause producers to cancel the show permanently.
On the other side of the country, in New York, headlines decried the surfeit of breakdowns at Aqueduct. From Nov. 30 to March 17, a total of 17 horses broke down at Aqueduct, including eight in a 15-day stretch. After the 16th horse was euthanized, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sent a letter to the New York Racing Association calling for an inde- pendent investigation into the deaths. After the 17th, the NYRA announced they were cutting the purses of lower level claiming races, where a majority of the breakdowns had occurred.
In England, five Thoroughbreds died during
the first two days of the famed Cheltenham Festival steeplechase meet. Yahoo! Sports Contributing Editor Maryam Louise wrote, “The Cheltenham Festival
is one of the top horse racing events in England, but they are having the same problem as the HBO series ‘Luck.’ Instead of news headlines talking about the winners of the race, the main focus is on the death of horses at Cheltenham.”
Every evening, I get an e-mail update summariz- ing the most recent headlines that have anything
to do with horse racing. On March 15, 28 of the 29 headlines referred to the aforementioned situations at Aqueduct, Cheltenham and with “Luck.”
Beware the Ides of March, indeed!
But then, another headline came across my news tracker. A press release distributed by the Grayson- Jockey Club Research Foundation states, “(the) board of directors has approved funding for 16 research projects in 2012 for a total of $845,646. The board selected eight new projects to be launched in 2012, and funding will cover the second year of eight proj- ects begun in 2011. The new research projects cover a wide range of problems that can affect horses of any breed or discipline.”
In a week otherwise tainted by bad news and neg- ativity, it was a bright light of shining hope. Because supporting research—hard-core, scientific research— is one of the best ways we can help our horses.
The same week of the negative headlines, Quarter Horse racing conducted ongoing discussions about clenbuterol. The AQHA continues to push for low- ered thresholds for the drug that is being used—and misused—for its steroid-like effects. One of the main arguments from the opposition is the lack of scientific research available to support the lowered thresholds.
There’s that phrase again—scientific research.
In the horse racing industry, it seems there are always plenty of people willing to step forward and voice their opinions. And opinions are good...an open exchange of information can be an excellent way to come up with new solutions to old problems.
But sometimes it takes more than opinions and talk. Sometimes it takes action. And one of the best ways we can take positive action is to support the scientists and organizations that are actively working on real ways to help our horses.
The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is just one of several organizations that funds veteri- nary research. Since 1960, the AQHA and American Quarter Horse Foundation have awarded more than $8.2 million in grants to educational institutions. The AQHA is currently funding research on equine meta- bolic syndrome, osteoarthritis, equine herpesvirus-1, early detection of sesamoid injuries, stifle disease,
and more. The Equine Research Coordination Group (ERCG), Morris Animal Foundation and American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation also do good work in supporting equine research.
One of the best ways to overcome the negative headlines—the Ides of March—is to make positive changes for the future. We can all make a difference by supporting the scientific research that will keep our horses healthy and safe now and for years to come.
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SPEEDHORSE, March 30, 2012
UNDER WRAPS