Published: May 07, 2008 11:33 pm            

CRESS: Blame yourself for Eight Belles

So the entire sport of horse racing is under fire for what happened to the filly Eight Belles after last weekend’s Kentucky Derby.

One question — why now?

While PETA has come out of the woodwork, along with the usual motley groups of protesters who seem to appear at the slightest hint of any controversy, it all seems to me like too little, too late.

This is an industry that has operated virtually the same way since the 19th century. The mainstream pays attention for six weeks a year, and then it goes back to the “enthusiasts,” otherwise known as degenerate gamblers, corporate drones looking for a nice company-sponsored outing, and pretty much no one else.

It’s always been that way.

We’ve always looked the other way as horses are inbred to go fast, specifically for the purpose of winning purses and thus earning money and reputation for their owners and trainers. We have spent lifetimes turning a blind eye as jockeys whip these magnificent animals and as racetracks put them in 20-horse fields where these strong, yet fragile creatures can run in groups where one false move would likely destroy them all.

I’m not opposed to horse racing. I always enjoy periodic trips to Churchill Downs — the only place where a social hierarchy is actually visible — and I love watching the animals. I love the frenzied excitement of a close race in packed stands. It’s so much more visceral than watching cars run around a track.

That’s because these machines are alive.

Even people who love horse racing would have to admit the sport is a little barbaric. Anyone who has seen 20 horses jammed together in a race for their lives could tell you that it’s more than a little uncomfortable to watch.

Everyone already knew these things, but we all chose to ignore them. So that’s why I get a little angry when I hear about demonstrations and talk of a Mitchell Report-style inquiry into the sport of kings and, apparently, thugs.

It shouldn’t have taken a tragedy to get people this fired up.

The other day, Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones implied that PETA is concerned about horse racing because it’s a fundraiser. I think that’s pretty obvious.

This year’s Derby was the second-most watched in history. It was one of the few times where the eyes of the nation were on something besides “American Idol.” It truly brought us all together.

Knowing that, the organization jumped on the fiasco, which has no doubt swelled its already-full coffers to overflowing. And they may even have a point.

But where were they before?

Nowhere to be found, because that’s the way it’s always been. And if Big Brown loses in next Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, this whole thing will be over sooner than you think.

We can all re-bury our heads in the Polytrack.

Contact Matthew Cress at matthew.cress@newsandtribune.com.

        

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