To the Editor,

The New York Times

Re: “Dead Athletes. Empty Stands. Why Are We Still Paying for This?” (Feb. 28, 2025)

Long before the Super Bowl or the World Series, horse racing was America’s first great sporting event. It has brought people and horses together for generations, shaping the cultural and economic fabric of the nation.

But this is not the sport of the past. Horse racing today is defined by progress. Safer and more closely regulated than ever.

Yet, in his recent piece, Dead Athletes. Empty Stands., Noah Shachtman presents a one-dimensional view of an industry that is actively improving. The article suggests horse racing is on life support, ignoring the billions it contributes to local economies, the private investment that sustains it, and the enormous strides made in equine welfare.

The economic engine of horse racing

The idea that racing relies on government handouts is simply false. Unlike many professional sports that depend on taxpayer-funded stadiums and infrastructure, horse racing is largely supported by private investment and generates billions in tax revenue that directly funds public services.

• The U.S. racing industry contributes $36.4 billion in economic impact annually and supports 491,000 jobs, many in rural communities where racing is the backbone of local economies.
• New York alone generates over $200 million annually in tax revenue from racing—money that funds education, infrastructure, and essential public services.
• Resorts World NYC at Aqueduct Racetrack has contributed $4 billion to New York’s public education system since 2011.

• Should a full casino license be awarded this year to RWNYC, New York State would see an immediate $500-million financial windfall from the initial casino license fee alone, and hundreds of millions of additional dollars in new, direct annual revenue.
• Kentucky’s racing and breeding industry contributes $6.5 billion annually, supports over 60,000 jobs, and generates $115 million in state tax revenue for public services.

Racing is seeing record investment, reinforcing its long-term future:

• NYRA is spearheading a $455 million privately financed transformation of Belmont Park—an investment repaid entirely by racing revenues. This modernization project ensures Belmont remains a world-class venue, creating thousands of jobs and strengthening New York racing for decades to come.
• Maryland is investing $400 million in racetracks and training facilities as a strategic reinvestment into state-owned assets. These funds, derived from dedicated gaming revenue ensure the long-term success of the Preakness Stakes and Maryland’s racing industry.
• Racing is booming in Arkansas and Virginia, where legislative support has created a thriving, self-sustaining industry. Handle is climbing, purses are growing, and the sport is expanding.
• Churchill Downs is investing $200 million of its own capital into infrastructure and facility upgrades, ensuring the Kentucky Derby remains a global spectacle and a cornerstone of American sport.

Meanwhile, taxpayer money flows far more freely into other sports:

• The Buffalo Bills received $850 million in public funds for a new stadium.
• The Las Vegas Raiders’ stadium was awarded $750 million in taxpayer money.

The reality? Horse racing is not reliant on handouts and creates jobs, funds schools, and strengthens local economies.

A sport evolving for the better

One of the biggest omissions in Shachtman’s article is how much Thoroughbred racing has changed.

The industry is not ignoring its challenges—it is tackling them head-on, implementing sweeping reforms that have dramatically improved safety and equine welfare.

• Racehorse fatalities have dropped by 27% since July 2022 under HISA, marking the most significant safety improvement in modern racing history. Today, 99.9% of races at HISA-regulated tracks occur without catastrophic injury.
• Every horse undergoes multiple veterinary evaluations before competing, any sign of unsoundness results in immediate withdrawal.
• Cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing injury prevention. PET scans, thermal imaging, and AI-driven motion analysis are being implemented at major racetracks to detect even the slightest physical irregularities.
• Unlike human sports, where injured athletes push through pain, racehorses are immediately withdrawn at the first sign of an issue.
• Racing has the strictest drug-testing program in U.S. sports. Under HISA and HIWU, every horse is subject to out-of-competition testing, a level of oversight beyond what even professional human athletes face.

This level of scrutiny is unmatched in professional sports. The focus isn’t just on treating injuries—it’s on preventing them altogether.

And it’s important to be clear: Thoroughbred racing is not the same as Quarter Horse or Standardbred racing. Thoroughbred racing has its own independent regulatory structure, distinct safety standards and economic model.

The truth about equine welfare

Shachtman’s article taps into broader concerns about equine welfare, and while some criticism of the past was valid, today’s reality tells a different story.

Racehorses receive unmatched veterinary attention and daily care—far beyond what is required in any other sport. Therapeutic treatments, high-quality nutrition, and round-the-clock monitoring are standard. And more horses than ever are transitioning to second careers.

This is an area of continuous progress and one thing is clear: the industry’s commitment to equine welfare has never been stronger.

No one disputes that horse racing has faced challenges. But painting it as an industry in decline—without acknowledging its enormous transformation—is misleading and unfair. If Shachtman wants to examine the sport’s future, let’s have that conversation openly, fairly, and with all the facts on the table.

At Light Up Racing, we believe in data, science, and transparency. We exist to cut through misinformation, ensuring that conversations about horse racing are driven by facts, not fear. The industry has undergone seismic changes in safety, integrity, and horse welfare—changes that should be acknowledged and discussed honestly.

Because horse racing isn’t clinging to the past. It is leading the future of equine welfare, sports integrity, and economic sustainability. The sport is stronger, safer, and more forward-thinking than ever—and that’s a story worth telling.

Regards,

Light Up Racing Board of Directors

Price Bell

Christina Blacker

Dr Jeff Berk

Roderick Wachman

Selected and trained by Cary Frommer
Courtesy of the BloodHorse

Sacred Wish Pulls Out Late Victory in the Matriarch

Sacred Wish rallied down the stretch to outlast favored Gina Romantica

• By Tracy Gantz
• December 1, 2024

Sacred Wish  ended trainer Chad Brown’s stranglehold on the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) by defeating favored Gina Romantica  at Del Mar Dec. 1. Runners from the powerful Brown barn had four consecutive victories in the one-mile turf race for distaffers, but trainer George Weaver sprung a mild upset with Sacred Wish, getting the first graded win of her career.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who hadn’t ridden Sacred Wish in a race in more than a year, came to California to pilot her for Weaver. The filly, going off as the 12-1 fifth choice, drew the rail, which allowed Velazquez to save ground in third early as part of a dream trip.

Ag Bullet , the 3-1 second choice behind the Brown-trained favorite Gina Romantica, was coming off a third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T). She set the early pace while getting the first quarter-mile in :23.32. Second-place Aussie Girl  tightened it up to a head margin after a half-mile in :47.57, while Velazquez was content to bide his time in third.

“I was hoping that she would break well,” said Velazquez, who added he felt the field only had a couple of speed horses. “If I can beat the 3 or the 4, then I am in a great position.”

That great position paid off as the leaders headed into the stretch. Velazquez was able to angle Sacred Wish outside of Ag Bullet, giving his filly a clear shot. She took it eagerly, passing Ag Bullet and then holding off a late rally by Gina Romantica on her outside and defeating the favorite by a neck in 1:34.76. Ag Bullet saved the show spot, three-quarters of a length behind Gina Romantica and a similar margin ahead of fourth-place Tax Implications, one of four trained by Brown.

“She pulled out and she had a nice kick to fight down the lane,” Velazquez said.

Blair Golen, an assistant to Weaver, was pleased with the way Ag Bullet’s early pace set the race up for Sacred Wish.

“She wasn’t going too fast, was comfortable behind horses, and was able to go up the rail and get it done this time,” Golen said. “Johnny already had it in his head that instead of waiting for her, he was going to ask her to go, and where she put herself is where she was going to be. He’s ridden her so well in the past. He gets along with her good, and I’m just so happy he was able to come out and ride her.”

Until the Matriarch, Sacred Wish had spent her entire career east of the Mississippi, winning the 2023 Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct. A graded victory had eluded her, though she had come close several times, running second in five graded stakes, including the 2023 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Two starts after the CCA Oaks, Sacred Wish switched to turf, and in nine races on that surface she had two wins, three seconds, two thirds, and two fourths.

Weaver, who missed winning the 2019 Matriarch by just three-quarters of a length with Daddy Is a Legend , trains Sacred Wish for Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christoper Dunn, and Anthony Spinazzola. Spinazzola bought the 4-year-old filly from consignor Cary Frommer for $50,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale.

John R. Penn bred Sacred Wish in Kentucky from the Indian Charlie mare Indian Wish , who did not win but placed four times in 17 starts. Indian Wish is a half sister to graded winner Mint Lane  and to grade 1-placed Sister Girl Blues . Another half sister, unraced So Sharp , produced millionaire and sire Sharp Azteca .

Not This Time   sired both graded winners on the Dec. 1 Del Mar card: Sacred Wish as well as Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) winner Clock Tower . The stallion’s other 2024 graded winners include Cogburn  , Next , Arzak , Shareholder , Abientot , Time to Dazzle , and No More Time . A son of Giant’s Causeway, Not This Time is slated to stand the 2025 season for an advertised fee of $175,000 at Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Ky.

Video: Matriarch S. (G1T)

Courtesy of the Paulick Report

Selected and started by Cary Frommer
Courtesy of the Paulick Report
Trainer Brittany Russell, second with Post Time – “Huge result. Huge result. What a horse! We’re tickled. That was awesome.

“His running style makes it a little tricky, but Sheldon rode him great and he came with his run and a huge race.

“I’m watching and man, he’s back there. They were running in front, but I’m always a little anxious watching a horse like this run because he had to pick his way through a bit. But, hey, we’re delighted. He ran huge. That was a great race.”

Jockey Sheldon Russell, second with Post Time – “Great effort. A lot of people mentioned to me coming into the race that this track was known for speed and he has to be close. He broke how he always breaks. I left him alone and we got a great trip on the inside. I sort of just followed Flavien [Prat] the whole way down the backside. I don’t know what really happened. I just got a great split up the inside and it all opened up.

“Today I really thought it was going to be his day, and he ran all the way to the line. Maybe the short stretch was a bit of a disadvantage because I feel like he was coming. A great effort by the team. He always shows up and we’re over the moon.”