Derby Turns Tragic - But, Do We Really Care?

My grandfather took bets at a race track for 30 years. I've been to the big races and to the Thursday matinee, where only the most die hard gamblers make a showing. I am not naive to the goings on at horse tracks around the country. I understand the money, the corruption, and the greed that drives the sport. But, there is undeniably something beautiful, about seeing a pack of thoroughbreds round the stretch. Only in horse racing can this beauty be tarnished by a brutal reality in the blink of an eye.

On Saturday we turned a blind eye to tragedy. This is the only sport where the winners weep with joy, while a competitor's horse lie dying on the track. The viewing audience got very little coverage on Eight Belles' tragic death. Instead we saw the victors celebrating, in a moment that was more fit for mourning.

Could you imagine a professional fighter posturing and preening for the crowd if his opponent had just died in the ring? Do you see NBA players celebrating when an opposing team's star player goes down with a serious injury? When a football player goes down, you often see opposing players kneeling in prayer. But, this is horse racing, where the lives of these animals mean nothing, other than dollar signs.

20 horses in a race is dangerous, but it makes for an exciting stampede when they break the gates. The crowd roars it's approval, while the horse's safety (and for that matter the jockey's) is given very little consideration. In the end, to most Americans, they are just horses. While we (and congress) focus on Roger Clemens' alleged steroid use and his past affair with a 15 year old girl, this Derby tragedy will be swept under the rug. There will be no discussions on the safety of the horses, and there will be no outcry from the public, calling for tighter regulation and smaller race fields (15 max).

There will be no demand for change, because after all, they are only animals.