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New York Post
01-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Notorious horse trainer Bob Baffert's rise, fall and return to the Kentucky Derby is ‘deliberate confusing of the symptom with the disease'
Bob Baffert has had at least 75 racehorses — including two just last month — die under his care since 2000, according to the California Horse Racing Board and Daily Racing Form data, but a new book asserts that the legendary 72-year-old trainer has been unfairly maligned. '[The] public pillorying [of him] for the past three years has felt more like a scapegoat for racing's biggest problems than a solution,' writes Katie Bo Lillis in 'Death of a Racehorse: An American Story' (Simon & Schuster, out Tuesday). Framing him as the sole villain for the rampant drug use in horse racing feels like 'a deliberate confusing of the symptom with the disease.' All eyes will be on Baffert this Saturday when he returns to the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs after a three-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc. for using a banned substance on a winning horse. 5 Bob Baffert is returning to the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs after a three-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc. for using a banned substance with Medina Spirit (pictured). Pat McDonogh / Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC He has two horses — Citizen Bull and Rodriquez — competing in the Derby, the latter of which the Washington Post picked as the 'clear choice to win.' The Arcadia, California-based Baffert trained the famed race's 2021 winner, Medina Spirit. But afterwards, the colt tested positive for betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug that's commonly used in the equestrian world but can't be in a horse's bloodstream on race day. On December 6, 2021, Medina Spirit collapsed during a training run at Santa Anita in California, dying of a heart attack. Two months after his death, Baffert was officially stripped of his Derby victory. Churchill Downs also suspended Baffert for two years, and he responded with a lawsuit, insisting that he'd done nothing wrong. A federal court in Kentucky dismissed the case in 2023, and Baffert's suspension was extended for a third year because of his insistence on 'peddl[ing] a false narrative,' according to Churchill Downs. It finally ended last summer, with Baffert taking full responsibility for Medina Spirit's positive test. Though rumors had circulated for decades that 'the most dominant trainer in the country was giving his horses a little chemical help,' Lillis writes, it was a huge reckoning for the sport. Baffert has had a record-tying six Kentucky Derby wins (not counting Medina) and twice clinched the Triple Crown — with American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. 5 Baffert has had 75 horses, including Medina Spirit, die since 2000. REUTERS 'Before Baffert, no one had won the Triple Crown since 1978,' writes Lillis. Focusing solely on the tragic death of Medina Spirit is shortsighted, she asserts. '[It] wasn't the first time one of Bob Baffert's horses had dropped dead of a heart attack,' writes Lillis. 'It wasn't even the second, or the third. A decade before, seven horses in Baffert's stable had died abruptly of suspected cardiac-related causes in less than two years — nine times the rate of other trainers stabled in the state of California.' He is also hardly the only questionable trainer within the industry. In recent years, more than two dozen trainers and veterinarians have been indicted for 'juicing' horses with performance-enhancing drugs, like 'blood building drugs, which… can lead to cardiac issues or death,' according to the Department of Justice. One industry veteran told The Post that 60% of Thoroughbreds are drugged by trainers. 5 A new book asserts that Baffert isn't so much a disease as a symptom of problems in horse racing. In 2020, just a year before the scandal that briefly cost Baffert his career, 'the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing was in a moment of profound peril,' writes Lillis. Drug use was widespread, with horses receiving everything 'from sedatives to joint injections to a deeply controversial drug designed to prevent spontaneous hemorrhaging of the lungs during intense exercise, sometimes in untested combinations with unknown outcomes.' In 2024 alone, there were 161 race-related horse deaths, with 15 of them occurring on Kentucky tracks and six at Churchill Downs, according to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. When he was finally exposed for Medina Spirit, Baffert pushed back. He gave media interviews and press conferences insisting that his horses — particularly Medina Spirit, despite the toxicology report—had never received betamethasone. 'He was widely mocked for rambling, speculative explanations that at times bordered on the absurd,' writes Lillis. 5 Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby a record six times. Getty Images He made a brief comeback in 2023, winning the Preakness Stakes for a record-setting eighth time with a horse named National Treasure. But the victory was overshadowed by the death of another one of his horses, Havnameltdown, who'd been injected with betamethasone. 'It was an unsettling reminder that Baffert, like so many trainers who had run afoul of racing's petty regulations before, had simply gone back to business as usual,' writes Lillis. According to her, at the Preakness, Baffert had an encounter with Shaun Richards, the new director for the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit, the anti-doping authority. Baffert told the author that Richards warned him, 'I'm gonna be watching you guys, and you better not mess up because I know how to find you.' (According to Richards, Baffert's version of events 'was fabricated, other than I said 'hello.'') 5 Baffert won the Triple Crown with Justify in 2018. Getty Images Lillis is hopeful that the drug scandals of horse-racing, personified by Baffert, may be behind them. 'Some horsemen have quietly told me that they have seen attitudes toward the animal begin to shift,' she writes. 'Whether that change will happen fast enough to catch up to the outside world's expectations remains to be seen.'
NBC Sports
30-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
What makes a Kentucky Derby champion? Big hearts, immense lungs and powerful legs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On a crisp, clear morning, a chestnut thoroughbred thundered down the dirt strip at Churchill Downs, his exercise rider leaning forward above the saddle. Other horse-and-rider pairs followed. Dr. Will Farmer looked down from a viewing point, admiring the speed and agility of the 1,000-pound animals. The whole world will have the chance to see horses in action here Saturday, when the Kentucky Derby shines a global spotlight on equine athleticism. It's the subject of a growing body of research that cites a constellation of characteristics: big hearts, immense lung capacity, robust musculoskeletal systems and long, thin legs – all of which helped horses survive in the wild. 'It goes back to the roots: They are an animal of prey,' said Farmer, a veterinarian and equine medical director at Churchill Downs Inc. 'That's how they got away from being eaten.' Horses honed skills such as running, jumping and pulling as humans bred and trained them for various purposes over millennia. And the 151st Derby — horse racing's most-watched event — will draw attention not only to the animals' skills, but also to concerns about their treatment and health. Advocates have long raised concerns about deaths and injuries — calls that were amplified two years ago, when 12 horses died at Churchill Downs. There's no doubt that war, agriculture and societies have been transformed by the human-horse relationship. 'Horses allowed us to circumvent our own biological limitations as a species,' said Timothy Winegard, a historian at Colorado Mesa University and author of a recent book, 'The Horse.' 'We combined our brains with the horses' size, strength, stamina and speed to form the most unstoppable animal coalition.' What makes horses so powerful? A horse's heart and lungs are the source of its extraordinary power. The heart averages 10 to 12 pounds (4.5-5.4 kg), or about 1% of the animal's body weight, compared with half a percent for the typical human heart. Secretariat, the storied horse that won the Triple Crown in 1973, was found after his death to have a heart weighing more than 20 pounds (9.1 kg). Horse hearts are built for exertion. The average horse can go from a resting heart rate of about 34 beats per minute to 220 or 240 while racing – faster than a human heart during maximum exertion. 'One thing that's really unique about horses is that they have an incredible capacity to move blood around their bodies -- their heart rate can go really high and still be safe,' said University of Connecticut researcher Sarah Reed, editor in chief of the journal Animal Frontiers. They also have a lung capacity of 60 liters – 10 times that of humans. 'That massive lung field allows for oxygen to transfer from the air into their blood, which is vitally important for sustaining aerobic energy,' Farmer said. Recent research in the journal Science found that a genetic mutation enables horses to avoid negative side effects of super high energy production. 'Horses are great athletes because they can deliver a lot of oxygen to their muscles – way more than an elite human can —and by elite human, I mean Olympic athlete,' said Gianni Castiglione, the study's co-author. 'They have a bigger tank of gas and they have a more efficient engine … and this mutation is contributing to both of those things.' What is behind horses' speed and other skills? Other aspects of a horse's biology enhance its abilities. Horses store extra red blood cells in their spleens. These cells are released to carry even more oxygen around the body during intense exertion. 'Adrenaline when exercising causes the spleen to release extra red blood cells into circulation,' veterinarian Hilary Clayton said. 'What horses are doing is essentially 'blood doping' themselves.' Meanwhile, horses' brains allow them to process sensory information and react quickly. That's despite having frontal lobes, parts of the brain used for thought and planning that are proportionally smaller than those in humans. 'Brainwise, they're designed with a real desire to play and run independent of any fear,' said Dr. Scott Bailey, a veterinarian at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, a thoroughbred breeding farm where Secretariat is buried. Horses are also able to focus intently, which 'is really important for an athlete.' Bone structure and musculature also help. The ligaments and tendons in their hind legs act like springs, Farmer said, helping propel them forward. Like other large prey animals, he added, they have 'long, thin legs that are meant to run.' What about the risks for horses? The adaptations that make horses faster also predispose them to injury, Reed said. Their skinny legs absorb the impact of each stride, she said, and over time the repetitive stress of racing and training can lead to deformation of tendons and ligaments. In 2023, deaths occurred not only at Churchill Downs, but other major racing venues, affecting public perceptions of the sport and sparking changes. Reviews found no single cause for the deaths. But for 2024, Churchill Downs upgraded equipment used on its dirt surface and added an equine safety and integrity veterinarian. In its annual report, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority noted the steps being taken to reduce injuries and fatalities — expanded veterinary protocols, pre-race inspections and uniform medication oversight. And, it said, the rate of deaths at authority-accredited tracks dropped in 2024, by 27%. What makes a champion? Experts say a healthy, safe environment brings out the best in a horse — but they still don't know what makes certain horses standouts at the race track. 'That's the million-dollar question,' Bailey said. 'Every thoroughbred owner is trying to match the genetics of the parents in order to make the horse with the greatest chance of winning.' Breeding is only part of the equation, experts said; nurture, training and the horse-rider relationship also factor in. Each time a horse emerges seemingly out of nowhere to win the Kentucky Derby, Farmer is reminded of this. 'You don't have to be this star-studded bred horse that cost a million dollars at sale to come and win and be a great runner,' he said, raising his voice slightly above the din of galloping hooves. 'There are a lot of great horses.'
30-04-2025
- Sport
What makes a Kentucky Derby champion? Big hearts, immense lungs and powerful legs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- On a crisp, clear morning, a chestnut thoroughbred thundered down the dirt strip at Churchill Downs, his exercise rider leaning forward above the saddle. Other horse-and-rider pairs followed. Dr. Will Farmer looked down from a viewing point, admiring the speed and agility of the 1,000-pound animals. The whole world will have the chance to see horses in action here Saturday, when the Kentucky Derby shines a global spotlight on equine athleticism. It's the subject of a growing body of research that cites a constellation of characteristics: big hearts, immense lung capacity, robust musculoskeletal systems and long, thin legs – all of which helped horses survive in the wild. 'It goes back to the roots: They are an animal of prey,' said Farmer, a veterinarian and equine medical director at Churchill Downs Inc. 'That's how they got away from being eaten.' Horses honed skills such as running, jumping and pulling as humans bred and trained them for various purposes over millennia. And the 151st Derby — horse racing's most-watched event — will draw attention not only to the animals' skills, but also to concerns about their treatment and health. Advocates have long raised concerns about deaths and injuries — calls that were amplified two years ago, when 12 horses died at Churchill Downs. There's no doubt that war, agriculture and societies have been transformed by the human-horse relationship. 'Horses allowed us to circumvent our own biological limitations as a species,' said Timothy Winegard, a historian at Colorado Mesa University and author of a recent book, 'The Horse.' 'We combined our brains with the horses' size, strength, stamina and speed to form the most unstoppable animal coalition.' A horse's heart and lungs are the source of its extraordinary power. The heart averages 10 to 12 pounds (4.5-5.4 kg), or about 1% of the animal's body weight, compared with half a percent for the typical human heart. Secretariat, the storied horse that won the Triple Crown in 1973, was found after his death to have a heart weighing more than 20 pounds (9.1 kg). Horse hearts are built for exertion. The average horse can go from a resting heart rate of about 34 beats per minute to 220 or 240 while racing – faster than a human heart during maximum exertion. 'One thing that's really unique about horses is that they have an incredible capacity to move blood around their bodies -- their heart rate can go really high and still be safe,' said University of Connecticut researcher Sarah Reed, editor in chief of the journal Animal Frontiers. They also have a lung capacity of 60 liters – 10 times that of humans. 'That massive lung field allows for oxygen to transfer from the air into their blood, which is vitally important for sustaining aerobic energy,' Farmer said. Recent research in the journal Science found that a genetic mutation enables horses to avoid negative side effects of super high energy production. 'Horses are great athletes because they can deliver a lot of oxygen to their muscles – way more than an elite human can —and by elite human, I mean Olympic athlete,' said Gianni Castiglione, the study's co-author. 'They have a bigger tank of gas and they have a more efficient engine … and this mutation is contributing to both of those things.' Other aspects of a horse's biology enhance its abilities. Horses store extra red blood cells in their spleens. These cells are released to carry even more oxygen around the body during intense exertion. 'Adrenaline when exercising causes the spleen to release extra red blood cells into circulation,' veterinarian Hilary Clayton said. 'What horses are doing is essentially 'blood doping' themselves.' Meanwhile, horses' brains allow them to process sensory information and react quickly. That's despite having frontal lobes, parts of the brain used for thought and planning that are proportionally smaller than those in humans. 'Brainwise, they're designed with a real desire to play and run independent of any fear,' said Dr. Scott Bailey, a veterinarian at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, a thoroughbred breeding farm where Secretariat is buried. Horses are also able to focus intently, which 'is really important for an athlete.' Bone structure and musculature also help. The ligaments and tendons in their hind legs act like springs, Farmer said, helping propel them forward. Like other large prey animals, he added, they have 'long, thin legs that are meant to run.' The adaptations that make horses faster also predispose them to injury, Reed said. Their skinny legs absorb the impact of each stride, she said, and over time the repetitive stress of racing and training can lead to deformation of tendons and ligaments. In 2023, deaths occurred not only at Churchill Downs, but other major racing venues, affecting public perceptions of the sport and sparking changes. Reviews found no single cause for the deaths. But for 2024, Churchill Downs upgraded equipment used on its dirt surface and added an equine safety and integrity veterinarian. In its annual report, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority noted the steps being taken to reduce injuries and fatalities — expanded veterinary protocols, pre-race inspections and uniform medication oversight. And, it said, the rate of deaths at authority-accredited tracks dropped in 2024, by 27%. Experts say a healthy, safe environment brings out the best in a horse — but they still don't know what makes certain horses standouts at the race track. 'That's the million-dollar question,' Bailey said. 'Every thoroughbred owner is trying to match the genetics of the parents in order to make the horse with the greatest chance of winning.' Breeding is only part of the equation, experts said; nurture, training and the horse-rider relationship also factor in. Each time a horse emerges seemingly out of nowhere to win the Kentucky Derby, Farmer is reminded of this. 'You don't have to be this star-studded bred horse that cost a million dollars at sale to come and win and be a great runner,' he said, raising his voice slightly above the din of galloping hooves. 'There are a lot of great horses.' ___ Larson reported from Washington, D.C. —— The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Winnipeg Free Press
30-04-2025
- Science
- Winnipeg Free Press
What makes a Kentucky Derby champion? Big hearts, immense lungs and powerful legs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — On a crisp, clear morning, a chestnut thoroughbred thundered down the dirt strip at Churchill Downs, his exercise rider leaning forward above the saddle. Other horse-and-rider pairs followed. Dr. Will Farmer looked down from a viewing point, admiring the speed and agility of the 1,000-pound animals. The whole world will have the chance to see horses in action here Saturday, when the Kentucky Derby shines a global spotlight on equine athleticism. It's the subject of a growing body of research that cites a constellation of characteristics: big hearts, immense lung capacity, robust musculoskeletal systems and long, thin legs – all of which helped horses survive in the wild. 'It goes back to the roots: They are an animal of prey,' said Farmer, a veterinarian and equine medical director at Churchill Downs Inc. 'That's how they got away from being eaten.' Horses honed skills such as running, jumping and pulling as humans bred and trained them for various purposes over millennia. And the 151st Derby — horse racing's most-watched event — will draw attention not only to the animals' skills, but also to concerns about their treatment and health. Advocates have long raised concerns about deaths and injuries — calls that were amplified two years ago, when 12 horses died at Churchill Downs. There's no doubt that war, agriculture and societies have been transformed by the human-horse relationship. 'Horses allowed us to circumvent our own biological limitations as a species,' said Timothy Winegard, a historian at Colorado Mesa University and author of a recent book, 'The Horse.' 'We combined our brains with the horses' size, strength, stamina and speed to form the most unstoppable animal coalition.' What makes horses so powerful? A horse's heart and lungs are the source of its extraordinary power. The heart averages 10 to 12 pounds (4.5-5.4 kg), or about 1% of the animal's body weight, compared with half a percent for the typical human heart. Secretariat, the storied horse that won the Triple Crown in 1973, was found after his death to have a heart weighing more than 20 pounds (9.1 kg). Horse hearts are built for exertion. The average horse can go from a resting heart rate of about 34 beats per minute to 220 or 240 while racing – faster than a human heart during maximum exertion. 'One thing that's really unique about horses is that they have an incredible capacity to move blood around their bodies — their heart rate can go really high and still be safe,' said University of Connecticut researcher Sarah Reed, editor in chief of the journal Animal Frontiers. They also have a lung capacity of 60 liters – 10 times that of humans. 'That massive lung field allows for oxygen to transfer from the air into their blood, which is vitally important for sustaining aerobic energy,' Farmer said. Recent research in the journal Science found that a genetic mutation enables horses to avoid negative side effects of super high energy production. 'Horses are great athletes because they can deliver a lot of oxygen to their muscles – way more than an elite human can —and by elite human, I mean Olympic athlete,' said Gianni Castiglione, the study's co-author. 'They have a bigger tank of gas and they have a more efficient engine … and this mutation is contributing to both of those things.' What is behind horses' speed and other skills? Other aspects of a horse's biology enhance its abilities. Horses store extra red blood cells in their spleens. These cells are released to carry even more oxygen around the body during intense exertion. 'Adrenaline when exercising causes the spleen to release extra red blood cells into circulation,' veterinarian Hilary Clayton said. 'What horses are doing is essentially 'blood doping' themselves.' Meanwhile, horses' brains allow them to process sensory information and react quickly. That's despite having frontal lobes, parts of the brain used for thought and planning that are proportionally smaller than those in humans. 'Brainwise, they're designed with a real desire to play and run independent of any fear,' said Dr. Scott Bailey, a veterinarian at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, a thoroughbred breeding farm where Secretariat is buried. Horses are also able to focus intently, which 'is really important for an athlete.' Bone structure and musculature also help. The ligaments and tendons in their hind legs act like springs, Farmer said, helping propel them forward. Like other large prey animals, he added, they have 'long, thin legs that are meant to run.' What about the risks for horses? The adaptations that make horses faster also predispose them to injury, Reed said. Their skinny legs absorb the impact of each stride, she said, and over time the repetitive stress of racing and training can lead to deformation of tendons and ligaments. In 2023, deaths occurred not only at Churchill Downs, but other major racing venues, affecting public perceptions of the sport and sparking changes. Reviews found no single cause for the deaths. But for 2024, Churchill Downs upgraded equipment used on its dirt surface and added an equine safety and integrity veterinarian. In its annual report, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority noted the steps being taken to reduce injuries and fatalities — expanded veterinary protocols, pre-race inspections and uniform medication oversight. And, it said, the rate of deaths at authority-accredited tracks dropped in 2024, by 27%. What makes a champion? Experts say a healthy, safe environment brings out the best in a horse — but they still don't know what makes certain horses standouts at the race track. 'That's the million-dollar question,' Bailey said. 'Every thoroughbred owner is trying to match the genetics of the parents in order to make the horse with the greatest chance of winning.' Breeding is only part of the equation, experts said; nurture, training and the horse-rider relationship also factor in. Each time a horse emerges seemingly out of nowhere to win the Kentucky Derby, Farmer is reminded of this. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. 'You don't have to be this star-studded bred horse that cost a million dollars at sale to come and win and be a great runner,' he said, raising his voice slightly above the din of galloping hooves. 'There are a lot of great horses.' ___ Larson reported from Washington, D.C. —— The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
What makes a Kentucky Derby champion? Big hearts, immense lungs and powerful legs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — On a crisp, clear morning, a chestnut thoroughbred thundered down the dirt strip at Churchill Downs, his exercise rider leaning forward above the saddle. Other horse-and-rider pairs followed. Dr. Will Farmer looked down from a viewing point, admiring the speed and agility of the 1,000-pound animals. Advertisement The whole world will have the chance to see horses in action here Saturday, when the Kentucky Derby shines a global spotlight on equine athleticism. It's the subject of a growing body of research that cites a constellation of characteristics: big hearts, immense lung capacity, robust musculoskeletal systems and long, thin legs – all of which helped horses survive in the wild. 'It goes back to the roots: They are an animal of prey,' said Farmer, a veterinarian and equine medical director at Churchill Downs Inc. 'That's how they got away from being eaten.' Horses honed skills such as running, jumping and pulling as humans bred and trained them for various purposes over millennia. And the 151st Derby — horse racing's most-watched event — will draw attention not only to the animals' skills, but also to concerns about their treatment and health. Advocates have long raised concerns about deaths and injuries — calls that were amplified two years ago, when 12 horses died at Churchill Downs. There's no doubt that war, agriculture and societies have been transformed by the human-horse relationship. Advertisement 'Horses allowed us to circumvent our own biological limitations as a species,' said Timothy Winegard, a historian at Colorado Mesa University and author of a recent book, 'The Horse.' 'We combined our brains with the horses' size, strength, stamina and speed to form the most unstoppable animal coalition.' What makes horses so powerful? A horse's heart and lungs are the source of its extraordinary power. The heart averages 10 to 12 pounds (4.5-5.4 kg), or about 1% of the animal's body weight, compared with half a percent for the typical human heart. Secretariat, the storied horse that won the Triple Crown in 1973, was found after his death to have a heart weighing more than 20 pounds (9.1 kg). Advertisement Horse hearts are built for exertion. The average horse can go from a resting heart rate of about 34 beats per minute to 220 or 240 while racing – faster than a human heart during maximum exertion. 'One thing that's really unique about horses is that they have an incredible capacity to move blood around their bodies -- their heart rate can go really high and still be safe,' said University of Connecticut researcher Sarah Reed, editor in chief of the journal Animal Frontiers. They also have a lung capacity of 60 liters – 10 times that of humans. 'That massive lung field allows for oxygen to transfer from the air into their blood, which is vitally important for sustaining aerobic energy,' Farmer said. Advertisement Recent research in the journal Science found that a genetic mutation enables horses to avoid negative side effects of super high energy production. 'Horses are great athletes because they can deliver a lot of oxygen to their muscles – way more than an elite human can —and by elite human, I mean Olympic athlete,' said Gianni Castiglione, the study's co-author. 'They have a bigger tank of gas and they have a more efficient engine … and this mutation is contributing to both of those things.' What is behind horses' speed and other skills? Other aspects of a horse's biology enhance its abilities. Advertisement Horses store extra red blood cells in their spleens. These cells are released to carry even more oxygen around the body during intense exertion. 'Adrenaline when exercising causes the spleen to release extra red blood cells into circulation,' veterinarian Hilary Clayton said. 'What horses are doing is essentially 'blood doping' themselves.' Meanwhile, horses' brains allow them to process sensory information and react quickly. That's despite having frontal lobes, parts of the brain used for thought and planning that are proportionally smaller than those in humans. 'Brainwise, they're designed with a real desire to play and run independent of any fear,' said Dr. Scott Bailey, a veterinarian at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, a thoroughbred breeding farm where Secretariat is buried. Horses are also able to focus intently, which 'is really important for an athlete.' Advertisement Bone structure and musculature also help. The ligaments and tendons in their hind legs act like springs, Farmer said, helping propel them forward. Like other large prey animals, he added, they have 'long, thin legs that are meant to run.' What about the risks for horses? The adaptations that make horses faster also predispose them to injury, Reed said. Their skinny legs absorb the impact of each stride, she said, and over time the repetitive stress of racing and training can lead to deformation of tendons and ligaments. In 2023, deaths occurred not only at Churchill Downs, but other major racing venues, affecting public perceptions of the sport and sparking changes. Reviews found no single cause for the deaths. But for 2024, Churchill Downs upgraded equipment used on its dirt surface and added an equine safety and integrity veterinarian. Advertisement In its annual report, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority noted the steps being taken to reduce injuries and fatalities — expanded veterinary protocols, pre-race inspections and uniform medication oversight. And, it said, the rate of deaths at authority-accredited tracks dropped in 2024, by 27%. What makes a champion? Experts say a healthy, safe environment brings out the best in a horse — but they still don't know what makes certain horses standouts at the race track. 'That's the million-dollar question,' Bailey said. 'Every thoroughbred owner is trying to match the genetics of the parents in order to make the horse with the greatest chance of winning.' Advertisement Breeding is only part of the equation, experts said; nurture, training and the horse-rider relationship also factor in. Each time a horse emerges seemingly out of nowhere to win the Kentucky Derby, Farmer is reminded of this. 'You don't have to be this star-studded bred horse that cost a million dollars at sale to come and win and be a great runner,' he said, raising his voice slightly above the din of galloping hooves. 'There are a lot of great horses.' ___ Larson reported from Washington, D.C. —— The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
