Eight Belles' death a major topic at Thoroughbred panel
5/16/2008 12:23 AM   0 comments on this story E-mail this story to a friend

By BEN BAUGH
Staff writer
A panel discussion was held Wednesday evening at the Aiken Center for the Arts following the viewing of "The First Saturday in May," featuring Dogwood Stable president Cot Campbell, veterinarians Tom Stinner and Jamie Carter and Legacy Stable trainer Brad Stauffer.
The forum provided the audience with an opportunity to ask the panel about Thoroughbred racing, with several of the questions directed toward the issues of soundness, breeding for durability and whether horses should start racing at a later age.
The panel addressed each question and was able to refute much of the misinformation in reference to the sport of Thoroughbred racing that had been circulating in the media after the tragic death of Eight Belles.
"A lot of horses are bred to sell; they aren't bred to race," said Campbell, while addressing the crowd Wednesday evening. "They're bred to appeal to the yearling sales, and that's one problem. Races are written for speed, six furlongs and those are the popular races. It would be wonderful if there would be a move to go back to the one-and-a-half-mile and one-and-a-quarter-mile races. ... I think that's going to create acceleration and a move in the right direction. I think racing secretaries are going to be writing longer races, and I think there's going to be a move toward synthetic tracks. There's a movement to make things safer."
A necropsy ordered by the Kentucky Racing Authority on Eight Belles was released Thursday and concluded the filly had no pre-existing bone abnormalities, according to The Blood-Horse. The results of the necropsy showed there was no disease affecting the cardiovascular or pulmonary systems or any other of the major organs. The filly sustained compound fractures of both front legs of the fetlock joints, according to the report.
A great deal of research has been conducted in recent years and advancement in technologies and techniques in conjunction with improved standards to make racing surfaces safer are among the steps that have been taken to reduce the number of injuries associated with the sport, said Carter.
"I think a lot of people overlook the fact there are prerace exams," said Carter.

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