On Sunday morning not long before post time, several dozen protestors gathered on the corner of East and Union Avenues. They held signs decrying the deaths of nine Thoroughbreds here since the meet began on July 22, one reading “Stop Racing Horses to the Grave.”
Though the views of most people attending the track are likely to be more moderate than those of the protestors, we should all be concerned that, on the 16th day of the meeting, the number of equine fatalities has already surpassed the total at last summer’s meet.
At nearly every public presentation this year, the New York Racing Association has touted its record in improving the rate in catastrophic breakdowns at its three racetracks, noting in April that its rate for racing fatalities is 1.3 per 1,000 starts, below the national average.
That is indeed good news, but it is a troublingly incomplete picture of equine safety at the three NYRA tracks. For instance, three horses died here last summer during racing. Four died during training, and those numbers don’t make it into published fatality rates.
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Brooklyn Backstretch 
NYRA and Racing in General have to have more stringent qualifications to becoming a trainer I found that most trainers I’ve worked with are clueless when it comes to the very,very early onset of a physical dysfunction and they rely too much on their vet for minor,early onset of dysfunction.Number two,and here is the one that’s impossible to fix the use of PEDs .It will never be fixed ,their is too much corruption in the game,even if NYS gaming comm. and or NYRA could catch the cheater,what about the trainer who has thirty horse’s in his barn,who fill’s race’s,what about the trainer who’s owner sit’s on the board at NYRA,what about the trainer who year’s ago had a NYRA official practically born and raised in grew up and played and did his homework in his barn as a kid,What about the trainer that is connected,what about the trainer that has millions upon millions of dollars backing the trainer,this could go on and on.There are just too many reason’s to not clean up the sport,number one it’s a money maker for those in the right place’s,including those in high place’s in the sport and gov’t. Okay here’s a great Example ,Rick Dutrow ,Here’s a great trainer who was probably one of the greatest , with drug violation after drug violation but they continued to let him play the game,he could’ve had a thousand horse’s in his barn.He was the best but he wanted to be better.Except,Dutrow got so big he thought he could get away with admitting he used drug’s that would allegedly improve performance,Dutrow basically forced racing to take action against him,this big head syndrome I believe would effect most of us ,but most of us don’t admit to using a drug on a race horse on national T.V. Enjoy the game it’s post time! Stevie