By: Elizabeth Rancani

This was my first Breeders Cup where I was lucky enough to attend. I have only been previously to the 2004 Preakness, and then, of course various small track events throughout the years.

I have seen plenty of horses breakdown in televised events, and it is never a pretty sight. However, I stood not one hundred yards from the site of George Washington’s final steps, and it was downright nauseating. I saw Curlin blow past all the others, and as I watched to see the rest of the horses finish, I saw George Washington slip, and then his leg flop hopelessly. Even the young, obviously drunk men behind me, went silent. The cheers for Curlin, suddenly turned to tears, and there were many in my section who did not even know the race’s outcome.

It is an outcome that is all too common in this sport, and as a spectator today, I cannot say I didn’t feel guilt as the screen came out around the struggling, four year old horse. I felt guilty because I enjoyed the day, and spent money towards a sport that just can no longer protect its own.

I have always been an animal lover, and since I was eleven years old the horse stood above all others. At thirteen, I watched Go For Wand tumble onto the track Breeders Cup Day, and I tuned out for years after. I went through a phase as many young girls do, where I didn’t eat anything with a face, and being true to my convictions, the sport of kings didn’t exactly fit in with the new found me.

I still loved the horses, and continued to read stories of the great ones. One in particular, named Ruffian. To date, I think I have read every article and book ever written about the tragic heroine. One writer years after her death, wrote that after that fateful day, it is like horse racing as a whole took a deep breath, and never exhaled. It never recovered fully from her loss, and the corner of the world where her demise darkened, stayed forever that way.

Writer, William Nack in his new Ruffian book stated that he noticed the climate in the late sixties start to change and injuries were occuring at an alarming rate. I read, and look forward to our own Don Coleman’s articles, because he remembers a time when the thoroughbred was not so fragile. It is sad for racing that this trend cannot right itself. Tracks have a hard time even sustaining themselves today, unless they have the added bonus of slot machines. Slot machine players couldn’t care less about the horses, and don’t venture out to see many of the races. Perhaps, they are right. They can enjoy gambling without any casualities.

I am now a mother, and I can honestly say, I would think long and hard before bringing my daughter to the track. I want horses to be a part of her life, but there are other ways they can be. Horse racing is not a family outing, and non-racing fans in particular ,I am sure ,did not enjoy their day ending today on such a sad note. Experts will say otherwise, but that is why the Sport of Kings is in decline. Sure, they will always have the guys there who view the horses as little more than a number that will possibly pay off. But, to attract new fans a change is needed.

Sadly, no one seems to know what that change is. I heard all the way to the car today people talking about the death of George Washington. The consensus seemed to be that he was in over his head, running on a dirt course that he was not familiar with. His only other dirt attempt was last year’s Breeders Cup where he was less than spectacular. To ship him overseas, and throw him not only in an unfamiliar track, but a sloppy one too, was way too ambitious. The track today was a mess, and it is a wonder anyone wanted to let their horses run around it. I know if I were out there running in the mud, I would surely fall. I saw him struggle with the track, and wondered why he just wasn’t pulled up. He obviously wasn’t going to win, so what was the point?

Whatever the reason, I am at war with myself tonite. How can someone be an animal lover, and also love horse racing? One argument for it is that the horse actually likes to run. Secretariat’s groom said that he was never as happy as he was during his racing days. Another argument for it, is what would we do with all the horses we currently have then? Yet, another one is that all athletes get injured. It is a fact of life, and a horse can get injured just standing in his stall.

None of these arguments are likely to erase the picture in my mind tonite of the four year old horse who failed as a stallion, and was brought back to the races, only to fail one final time there. He never returned to the form he was in last year, but was brought to the United States anyway to face one of the toughest Classic fields ever assembled, and paid the ultimate price for it.

ESPN barely mentioned his death on their on air telecast. They gushed over what a formful day of racing it was, and how spectacular Curlin was. I think one of them even said it was a “great day.” Was it? When I left the track, I certainly did not feel that it was, and the fans out in the parking lot could talk of nothing but the death of ‘Gorgeous George.’ Of course, when I watched the coverage at home, it was barely obvious that a horse died in the Classic. That is a disgrace to England’s champion racehorse, and I am sure if the unlucky horse had been Curlin or Street Sense, we would have had a much different show. If you were at the track and any of the nine Classic contenders endured what George did, it would be hard to leave the track without a knot in your stomach. I guess ESPN did not want to give at home viewers the same, sickening feeling, because they want people to tune in the next time they have a major race on television. I may tune in again, because I know that ESPN will gloss over anything ugly, but it will be a long time before I want to go see a live race. Look at any race in America now, excluding the Triple Crown series, and you will see, I am not the only one who has that feeling.