Mack Miller represents the epitome of what a trainer of Thoroughbred horses is all about. 

Horsemen and fans alike carry the highest regard for this man who through a long and illustrious Hall of Fame career consistently put the welfare of the horse first. 

Jo and I joined the Millers in their lovely Midway, KY home last week to watch the Derby draw. When Big Brown drew the 20 post, Mack commented, “I don’t think it will matter, he appears to be a superior horse and I expect to see him win on Saturday.”  Mack was certainly right about that and I feel he is equally fight about his comments about Eight Belles after the race.

Mack concurs with Dr. Larry Bramlage and most other seasoned horsemen that the incident was a freakish accident and totally unpredictable.

It is a horribly sad thing that Eight Belles felled prey to the risk every horse faces in every race, but we must remember that Thoroughbred horses are bred to run, it is their job.  They are magnificent creatures, often tremendously brave but, like us, they are vulnerable.  As tragedy is part of life, it is part of horse racing. Eight Belles’ breakdown was more poignant than a horse breaking down at Finger Lakes or a mare dying giving birth to a foal; in two ways.  She was a filly running in the Kentucky Derby and more people witnessed it. 

Racing horses is risky business and no matter what the surface, the length of the whip or the weight of the rider there will be occasional break-downs.  It is horrifically sad but it is even sadder to see the reaction of people such as the PETA group.  Their affronts upon trainer; Larry Jones, the young jockey, Gabriel Saez and the entire racing industry are outrageous outbursts of uninformed emotional rage.

The widely circulated article which William C. Rhoden had in the NYT is equally unjustifiable.

The opinions of PETA and Rhoden smack of anthropomorphism which can be rather cute when speaking of pets but is completely inappropriate when applied to a major industry.  Can you just imagine the length of the lines at Equine Unemployment should these people’s voices be taken seriously?

It is impossible to remove the risk or reduce the emotion of racing; they are a compelling part of its attraction.  The ill-light being cast upon racing should create the right impetus for the entire industry to address the onerous responsibility of improving those conditions which may make racing safer.  The industry has for years failed to unite in its voice.  Part of the problem with people reacting in ways such as the PETA group is the industry’s fault for not educating people. 

The concern cannot be only economic, fans must be treated better and new fans nurtured.  Drug issues and surface concerns must be satisfactorily dealt with and the breeding of too many horses with unsound pedigrees needs to be addressed.  Soundness and durability should hold sway over “fashion” in mating selections. Every improvement to breeding and racing will bring forth improvement in other areas; the necessity here is to pull in the direction which best serves the “team’.   

To answer the PETA group:  To curtail racing would hugely enlarge the horse slaughter problem.  Are you prepared to see a big percentage of the most beautiful land in America fall to development?  Certainly you understand that the hungry government coffers must be fed.  Do you feel it is better to replace the cerebrally challenging handicapping game with mind-numbing slot machines?   Racing has done a fine job of providing tax revenue for a long time and the ancillary reaches of the industry to the nation’s economy are incalculable. We empathize with your dismay, but you are very wrong to mistake courage for callousness.  Your money and energy would be more suitably employed if you were to help an industry find solutions rather than to continue disparaging it.

Barbaro gave his life to increase awareness; George Washington provided a sustaining vote. 

Eight Belles are ringing for racing to step up to the plate and display its true colors.  My bet is this industry will find its way back to more luminous light.  The people in it are brave, like the horses they race.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it               

Marilyn Lane, a freelance writer, has a lifelong association with horses. Her experience includes more than 20 years as an owner, trainer and breeder of thoroughbreds. She was an assistant trainer to Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg during Alysheba’s racing career. You can reach her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it