Horse Racing in 60 Seconds

Are you a betting man or woman? If so, you’ll want to put your money on the chances that at least one horse—maybe more—will suffer such a catastrophic breakdown during one of the races that are being run at Pimlico or other U.S. racetracks this weekend that he or she will have to be either carted off in an ambulance or euthanized right on the track.

The latter is what happened to Canadian Winner, a horse who collapsed during the last race at Churchill Downs on the day of the Kentucky Derby earlier this month. Another horse, Appealing Alex, tripped over the fallen thoroughbred and had to be transported off the track. Appealing Alex’s fate is unknown.

What You Can Do

The drugging of horses is killing them. Please contact your U.S. representative and senators and ask them to support the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2013, Senate Bill 973 and House Bill 2012, which would increase oversight and penalties for overusing drugs in horse racing.