The Failure of Thoroughbred Horse Breeding Programs

 

By Lawrence LePere, Brewster, NY and Bruce Klion, Saratoga Springs, NY

 

We believe that the breeding program for thoroughbred horses has developed in a way that puts the future of horse racing at risk, as well as the living equine stock that is the very heart of the sport.

 

Animal breeding programs are and should be designed to improve the overall quality of the stock. Beneficial and desired attributes are bred to be strengthened and improved; undesired attributes are avoided or intentionally bred out.

 

In the case of thoroughbred horse race breeding, speed has always been the driving force. Horses that do not run fast enough to win races do not earn a return on their owner’s investments. The value of slower horses is considerably less than that of a champion. Like every other professional sport, horse racing is, at its heart, a money-making proposition.

 

In the last several decades, not enough of a premium has been put on developing a sturdy stock of thoroughbreds. The breed has always been “fragile,” but the public string of recent horse racing deaths at Santa Anita, Churchill Downs, and Saratoga have created an awareness of the industry’s emphasis on pedigree and speed over perhaps the long-term health of the horses. Thoroughbred horse breeding practices can influence the incidence of injuries and fatalities on race tracks in several ways, including genetic factors (prioritizing speed over durability), conformation and skeletal issues (breeding for specific physical characteristics with not enough consideration of their impact on a horse’s soundness), early training and racing (early and intense training can increase the risk of injuries and fatigue), medication and performance-enhancing substances (these can mask underlying health issues).

 

Objectively, if current breeding programs were successful, we’d see faster and faster horses over decades. However, this has not been the case:

 

Dirt Course Records

One Mile – 1:32.2, 1968, Dr. Fager

1 1/16 mile – 1:38.4, 1983, Hoedown’s Day

1 1/8 mile – 1:45, 1988, Simply Majestic

1 3/16 mile – 1:52.4, 1973, Riva Ridge

1 ¼ mile – 1:57.8, 1980, Spectacular Bid

1 ½ mile – 2:24.0, 1973, Secretariat

1 ¾ mile – 2.50.4, 1985, Paper Junction

2 miles – 3:19.2, 1964, Kelso

 

Think about this: not one horse born in the last 57 years has been able to break the One Mile record. Secretariat still owns all three Triple Crown speed records set 50 years ago. We watch thoroughbred horse racing to see horses run fast, but the sport is stagnant. And while the risk of fatal injury during racing has declined from 2.00 deaths per 1000 starts in 2009 to 1.25 deaths per 1,000 starts in 2022 (thoroughbred flat racing only), we’re still seeing over one on-course horse death per every 1,000 horse starts (so 2-3 on-course deaths at Saratoga per season) *. Considering the particularly gruesome nature of a couple of deaths witnessed on national TV this year or the string of large amounts of deaths at Santa Anita and Churchill Downs in the last few years, we say there are still too many, especially because thoroughbred horse breeding isn’t producing faster or sturdier horses. A horse death at the track should be an anomaly, not a routine occurrence. **

 

We’ve been horseracing fans for over 40 years, and we do not want to see the industry be forced to dissolve. We believe that a significant part of the solution would be to mandate that by a specific date (i.e., Jan 1, 2028), no horse would be able to race at any track unless it can prove that a certain percentage of its bloodline (1/8?) is from much sturdier breeds. We are advocating that the industry insert variation into the DNA pool of the thoroughbred racehorse with other more durable breeds. Genetic variation creates the capacity for animal populations to survive and thrive. We do not know which breeds would be appropriate to crossbreed, but the racing industry could determine that.

 

The horseracing industry owes this to its most important asset, the thoroughbred racing stock.

 

*Source: Jockey Club data from the Equine Injury Database for 2022

** It’s essential to note that efforts have been made to address these concerns in the racing industry. Many organizations, including regulatory bodies and animal welfare groups, are working to improve breeding practices, enhance track safety, and implement stricter regulations regarding the use of medications.

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